Love Does Exist Within Them
by love12does24exist
Summary: Quinn Fabray decides a vacation is in order after winning a huge case. Rachel Berry needs a break from her grueling Broadway schedule. Will paths cross as ex-lovers wonder what could've been? Faberry - Rachel Berry & Quinn Fabray. Rated M for obvious reasons.
1. Karmic Slap In The Face

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

**This was born out of writing down dialogue and action for Faberry scenes for ideas for flashbacks for a different future-fic to this one. I'm hoping y'all like this as much as I have fun nurturing and watching it grow - K x**

* * *

Quinn Fabray. Ex-head Cheerio. HBIC in every aspect of her life. Top of her class at Yale Law. Lesbian.

That last point on her list of her achievements, well, she wouldn't really call it an achievement, but it's a quality of hers that she doesn't let go to waste at all. Over the last 3 years since graduating and being offered a place as a criminology lawyer at one of the best firms in New York, she hasn't had a steady relationship since moving from Lima, Ohio to New Haven, Connecticut. Seven years of flings, one night stands and relationships that last no more than a month at anyone time and even then she couldn't call it a relationship.

She never thought she'd add the last point to her list as she sits in first class seat flying over the Atlantic from her home in New York City to Rome, Italy for a much-deserved six week vacation in the Mediterranean. Six weeks of drinking Coronas on the beaches of the beautiful Mediterranean Ocean sounded so appealing to Quinn while she was working the last big case she won, which put that asshole in jail for life.

As soon as she got that payout, tickets were booked as she'd already arranged the time off with her boss. She just needed somewhere to go and Italian beaches were it she decided late one night whilst enjoying a Corona with her microwave pasta after she'd got home from another tedious, twelve-hour day at the office.

Deciding that sleep was the only option to get her through the rest of the flight, she succumbs to her body's request for rest. Planning to sleep peacefully, her mind, playing some stupid karmic game, has other plans…

* * *

_Quinn finds herself doing her makeup in the bathroom. With each gentle, languid stroke she makes, all she can think of is Rachel._

_Rachel Berry. Knee high socks that slides up her endless, toned, tanned legs. Her sinful, almost borderline-illegal skirts. Those tight-fitting knitted animal sweaters. Her bright chocolate eyes full of passion and kindness. Those supple, blush-coloured lips that house the most brilliant smile the blonde cheerleader's ever seen…_

_Getting lost in her own thoughts, she's startled when the bathroom door flies open and in walks the object preoccupying her mind._

"_Hey Quinn, can we talk?"_

Oh God! Why did you have to find me? I only just finished taking care of myself to relieve all the tension you cause me! _Quinn cursed silently to the brunette._

"_What do you wanna talk about?" the blonde replies nonchalantly._

"_About Sam. I-I heard you backed out of doing a duet with him?"_

_Quinn keeps busying herself with her makeup, keeping herself occupied so she doesn't lock eyes with the brunette's gorgeous chocolate orbs._

"_Look," Rachel hesitatingly continues. "I understand that your reputation is important to you, but wouldn't you wanna do whatever it takes to be on top of the proverbial pyramid in every aspect of your life?"_

"_Singing with Sam won't change that," the Cheerio states, packing away the last of her things in her gym bag, trying not to gravitate towards the brunette._

"_Oh, but winning the competition will and partnering with Sam is really your only shot at it."_

What would you know about who I want to win my duet with?! Oh right, you don't because I'm too much of a coward to admit to you exactly how I feel about you.

_Quinn, lost in her thoughts involving the brunette, halts at the bathroom door hearing Rachel's words snap her back into reality. Turning slowly to face the object of her affection, she lets herself get endless lost in swirling chocolate as her green eyes find Rachel's. _

Fuck, she looks so beautiful right now… I swear she has her own glow reverberating off every surface in here. That skirt…

"_What's your angle?" Quinn spits out, trying to hide the lust written all over her face._

"_Angle..?" _

"_What's your angle? Me winning means you losing and you'll do whatever it takes to makes sure that doesn't happen. So, what's in it for you?" The blonde finishes._

"_Look, I agree." Rachel replies quietly, stepping forward to close the gap between herself and the cheerleader._

Oh no. No, no, no. Don't come closer to me Rachel!

"_You're probably not going to beat Finn and I, but I just thought as the team captain, it'd be good for the team to have some healthy competition for second place." She insists._

_Quinn finally breaks eye contact with Rachel, looking away for a second and finds her gorgeous eyes again. Knowing that this is the most civil she's behaved towards the brunette in a while, she realises it's probably the only chance she's going to get to do the one thing she's fantasised about ever since she started at McKinley High._

_Dropping her gym bag, with the mantra_ 'It's now or never!', _going through her mind, the cheerleader steps forward, closing the rest of the space between the two of them and laces her hand behind her neck and rests the other on her hip and pulls the stunned brunette in for a searing kiss._

_Rachel, just realising that Quinn Fabray is kissing her, pulls away from the taller girl. Finding her eyes, Rachel sees something in them she's never seen before… could it be?_

_Still locked in her grasp, lust and passion takes over as Rachel snakes her arms around the blonde's neck and pulls her back in, moulding her lips to Quinn's. Lips fight for dominance as Quinn's tongue darts out, sliding across Rachel's bottom lip, begging for entrance. Rachel complies and as their tongues meet, the brunette lets out a husky moan. _

_Hearing the sound elicited from the diva spurs the cheerleader on. Quinn feels herself soaking through and snakes her hand from Rachel's neck to her free hip, pulling their centres closer together. Quinn moans at the contact and slides a hand down Rachel's leg, encouraging it around her waist. The brunette figures out what Quinn's doing and aids her, making sure the blonde has her featherweight and both her legs wrap securely around the cheerleader's waist._

_Holding her weight in her hands, Quinn kisses her way down the diva's neck to her pulse point, nipping and sucking with all intent to leave her mark on the brunette. Licking at her victory, she guides the both of them and eventually hits the bathroom door, holding her with her right hand and pushing herself into Rachel's centre, causing the brunette to moan and throw her head back, clawing at the cheerleader's arms for more._

_Pushing herself into the brunette harder, Quinn's Cheerios top rides up, exposing her taught abs and moans at feeling how wet the brunette is. Feeling Rachel's heat against her makes Quinn involuntarily buck her hips into the brunette, causing her to groan hungrily for more._

"_Fuck, you feel… s-so good… Quinn!" Rachel gasps between moans._

_Upon hearing this, Quinn continues her ministrations and slowly grinds up and into the brunette, feeling the coil in her stomach become tighter with every thrust. Feeling Quinn speed up as she nears her climax, the brunette finds her rhythm and bucks into Quinn, begging for more. _

"_I need… you… now, Quinn!" she breathes into the blonde's ear._

"_What do you want Rachel? Say it!" _

"_I want you to place me back on the ground, hitch my leg up and fuck me Quinn!" she breathes, biting into the blonde's pulse point, making the cheerleader moan at the sensation._

_Quinn places the brunette gently back on the ground, taking a moment to find Rachel's gaze, holding it as she unzips her skirt and pushes it up the diva's waist. Before too long, Rachel latches her lips back onto Quinn's, resuming the dance they started moments ago, begging for Quinn to make her come._

_Pulling her leg up around her waist, the blonde trails her hand back up the inside of Rachel's leg as the brunette secures it around the cheerleader's waist. Grinding slowly into Rachel's standing leg, Quinn's hand find Rachel's wet sex and cups it using her hips to push behind her hand into Rachel. She never thought that this would be happening after everything that happened at Santana's Summer Slumber Shindig 6 weeks ago._

"_Rachel! You're so… fucking wet!" Quinn moans as she moves the lace of Rachel's panties to the side._

_Having freed her prize, she runs a finger through slick folds and finds Rachel's clit, running circles around it with her finger making the brunette squirm under her touch._

_Deciding that's not enough, Rachel snakes her hand down to Quinn's, keeping her thumb on her clit and forces the blonde to plunge a finger deep inside of her. Both girls moan in hungry passion at the contact as Quinn's finger continues thrusting in and out of the tight channel._

"_More… fu-uck me-e Quinn!"_

_Riding Rachel's leg as both girls near their orgasm, Quinn plunges another finger deep into the brunette causing her to buck hard into her hand. Thrusting and grinding continues as the two girls start feeling themselves tighten._

"_Oh my God! Oh fucking… fuck me!" the brunette screams as she feels herself start to tighten._

"_You feel so fucking good!" Quinn pants as she feels that familiar tingle building up within her._

"_Ra-achel!"_

"_Quiiiiin!"_

_Quinn's lips break contact and she pulls Rachel's face to her, finding her gaze as she pumps in and out of the brunette harder and faster. Moans of pleasure are exchanged as both girls fall over the edge. Feeling that white hot heat course through her, Quinn keeps pumping in and out Rachel, riding her through her orgasm as she grinds harder against Rachel's leg riding out her own orgasm._

_Rachel's hips slowly stop bucking as she rides out her own orgasm. Finding Quinn's supple lips breathing nothing but the pleasure around them, she locks on, kissing the blonde with everything she has. Knowing that she hates talking about feelings, Quinn kisses Rachel back with every ounce of love she has for her._

_Finding chocolate swirls with her green orbs, she looks at Rachel with nothing but unconditional love and passion..._

* * *

Being shaken awake by the flight attendant because they're due for landing in ten minutes, Quinn mentally curse her brain for letting her relieve one of many moments she should've told Rachel Berry, like it's some kind of karmic slap in the face and her body for soaking her underwear.

Regaining her ability to comfortably walk after ditching her soaked panties in the ladies bathroom, she makes her way to baggage claim. After collecting her suitcase, she makes her way out side to hail a taxi only to be held up by a throng of paparazzi, screaming obscenities and words and names she can't understand.

All except for one.


	2. Bikinis and Treehouses

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

Rachel Berry. Annoyingly passionate. Diva. Broadway star. Tony Award winner. Grammy Award winner. Lesbian.

Rachel knew she was going to make the big time ever since she could sing about it at the age of three. Gold stars and Barbra Streisand kept her believing that she was going to make it and she did.

The last point on her list, although she's been out of the closet since before graduating from NYADA, she's never wanted anyone else besides the one girl who stole her heart at sixteen. The girl who tortured her then made her scream her name endlessly in the throes of passion. The girl who unknowingly still has her heart, is none other than one Quinn Fabray.

Rachel knew they we're perfect for each other and those who knew about them what happened in that tree house (only because Brittany told them the real reason why she ushered them inside so quickly), those being Santana, Brittany, Kurt, Tina, Puck and Mercedes, thought they were absolutely perfect for each other. It was just the eight of them camped out at Santana's for a week during their summer before junior year (and if you ask Santana if she enjoyed one of the best weeks of her summer that involved hanging with the glee kids, then she'll deny it straight out!).

Thinking of the summer that changed her life, as she pulls down her night mask and she lets herself succumb to sleep in first class as the plane levels out from take off, her dreams begin to recall the week it all started…

* * *

_Rachel had been eying off Quinn all summer. Every time the two girls crossed paths, Rachel turned in the other direction or took the long way around or simply just went home to relieve herself of her pent-up sexual frustration involving Quinn Fabray._

_Just as she stepped out the shower after making herself come twice because of the blonde, she heard the familiar tune of Don't Rain On My Parade blaring somewhere near by. Drying a hand off, she rushed into her bedroom and leapt onto her bed to get to her phone._

_Picking it up, she caught a glance at the caller ID – Santana Lopez._

"_Good afternoon, Santana. To what do I owe the pleasure of receiving a call from you?" the brunette greeted brightly._

"_Can it, man-hands. I'm calling to invite you to my annual Summer Slumber Shindig, not because I want but because I have to. Bring enough clothes to sleep in and plenty of swimsuits to last at least a few days. Be at my house at 3pm tomorrow. Got it?" the fiery Latina let off in one breath._

"_Okay then. I'll be there. Oh, Santana, one question quickly,"_

"_Hurry it up!"_

"_What made you invite me?" Rachel asked nervously._

"_Quinn." And with that Santana hung up the phone._

_Hearing only a familiar beep silently going off in her ear, she could feel the biggest grin spreading across her face, but as soon as it appeared it faded._

Oh crap. It's Quinn. She did this. What if it's all a big ploy to get me somewhat naked, then steal my swim suits and humiliate me? What if it's all a setup?

_With her internal monologue going off at warp speed, the brunette opted to go commando and threw on some short blue denim shorts, a fitted t-shirt, some black flip flops and a black fedora. Taking one last look in the mirror to set her tousled waves on her shoulders, she grabbed her keys, phone and purse and flew downstairs, yelling a hasty "Be back soon! Love you." to her dads as she floored it out the front door, hopped in her car and took off down the street._

_Worrying like nobody's business, she finally made it to the mall. Heading to the nearest store with swimsuits she could find, she made her way in the store and found the colours and cuts that suited her comfortably. She saw the low rise bikini cuts and knowing that she didn't usually go for a cut so risqué, she grabbed a few, throwing them hastily in her basket._

_The brunette was so preoccupied with finding swimsuits of all cuts and colours that she failed to notice exactly who was in the store watching her every move with nothing but pure lust._

_Quinn stood there, fiddling with a white and gold bikini, just watching the almost-unrecognisable brunette saunter about hurriedly in clothing that she thought she'd never, ever see the brunette wear. The blonde watched Rachel move swiftly about the store, grabbing the swimsuits she eyed off and wanted. Quinn's eyebrows rose as she saw her grab a few bikinis that she never thought the brunette would ever dream off wearing._

_Trying to picture the brunette wearing the black and gold bikini she just picked up, she could feel the wetness starting to pool between her legs just at the thought of the diva looking so gorgeous… sexy. Feeling the familiar throb starting to take over, she watched as Rachel made her way to the fitting room to try some of them on. Seeing her walk in there, knowing that Rachel could possibly be topless, turned the blonde on stupidly and before she knew it, she was walking over there with the white and gold bikini she had in her hands to cover up the fact that she had to get herself off now._

_Rachel knew all the bottoms and one pieces would fit her but the tops of some of the bikinis she grabbed was what she had to double check. She knew she wasn't well endowed, but she wasn't a disappointment either. Thanking God that she opted to go commando, she took her fedora and t-shirt off and discarded them to the floor. Grabbing the top of the black and gold bikini, she undid it and put it on._

_Finding it a little difficult to tie up she heard a familiar whimper coming from the stall next to her. Wondering who made that sound, she crouched down a little ways, dipped her head and recognised the toe-curling feet next to her. _

Oh my God! Shit! Quinn's next to me. And she's making _those _sounds! But hang on, there's only one pair of feet, so that must mean she's alone… _the brunette trailed off in her thoughts, wandering what the heck the blonde was doing._

_Suddenly, it hit her like a tonne of bricks._

She's getting herself off! That's actually pretty hot. _The brunette mused to herself, with a smirk creeping upon her face._

_Hearing Quinn continue her ministrations, Rachel managed to tie the bikini top up, all while feeling herself becoming wetter. Opening the door to take a look in the mirror from a better angle, she was met with a flustered Quinn walking out of the stall next to her._

_Stopping dead in her tracks upon seeing Rachel, all the blonde could see was how gorgeous she looked in that bikini top and those sinfully short shorts. _

_Seeing nothing but lust painted over the blonde's face, Rachel walked up to her, closing what was left of the distance between them and laid a searing kiss upon the blonde, making sure to press her chest into Quinn's as she kissed the living shit out of her._

_Pulling her lips off of the stunned blonde, the only thing Rachel could see was lo- no, lust swirling within those green eyes belonging to the cheerleader._

"_That was so… fucking… hot, Quinn." The brunette breathed into her ear, adding a lick up her lobe for effect._

_The blonde gasped at Rachel's use of illicit language and looked stunned towards to brunette, wondering just how much she'd heard._

_Rachel smirked at the blonde and turned on her heel and walked back in the stall, sending a "I look forward to seeing you tomorrow afternoon, Quinn." over her shoulder and like that, she closed the door. _

_Quinn stood there, perplexed as her body caught up with her mind's need to get the hell out of there. She dropped the bikini she had in her hands and high tailed it out of the store, heading towards her car with only one destination in mind: her shower. But before getting there, her body defiled her twice as she drove along. Dips and bumps in the road did nothing for the ache she felt between her legs as she had to stop twice to come and ride out two frustrating powerful orgasms. _

_Little did Quinn know, Rachel relieved herself just seconds after she floored it out of the store._

_Finally making it home, she flew in the front door, threw a quick "Hi Mom!" towards the kitchen, tore up the stairs, removing articles of clothing as she found her bedroom and barged into her bathroom, with only one idea in mind: fucking herself senseless enough that she won't touch Rachel for the next few days._

_Four hours, two batteries and seventeen glorious orgasms later, the blonde made her way out of her bathroom and flopped down onto her bed. Not caring about getting dressed or about the fact that she missed dinner, she slid under her covers and let her happily sated body drift peacefully off to sleep._

_Little did Rachel know that she was all Quinn saw every time the blonde rode out another orgasm. _

_Rachel made her way up Santana's driveway with the black and gold bikini she tried on yesterday underneath her short black skirt and white tank top. Finding the front door, all she found was a note written in purple crayon attached to it:_

'_Summer Slumber Shindig people are to go around the side gate._

_Love Sanny and Britts :) xo'_

_Knowing Santana would curse Brittany for writing her name as 'Sanny', she did as she was asked and followed the cobblestone path leading around the side of the Lopez residence and stopped at the gate. Taking a deep breath, she opened the gate and walked in._

"_Hey Rach!"called Mercedes, Tina and Kurt together._

"_Rachel! You made it!" Brittany practically screamed, enveloping the tiny brunette in a bone-crushing hug._

"_Happy to see you to Brittany." She smiled._

"_Hey there my sexy Jewish-American princess." Puck smirked as he walked over and pulled her into a one-armed hug._

"_Well, you made it man-ha- ow! I mean Rachel." Santana corrected herself as Brittany nudged her in the ribs._

_Rachel returned her greetings when she caught a flash of honey blonde out the corner of her eye._

_Quinn rose out of the water, wearing that white and gold bikini she went back for that morning and sauntered up the pool steps, hips swaying as she took each step. Rachel's eyes raked Quinn's body with lust as she trailed up endless tanned legs to taught abs to a bikini top that left little to the imagination, to wet, plump lips and up to green eyes that sparkled in the sunlight._

_Seeing Rachel's reaction to her graceful exit from the pool, Quinn walked around to where her towel was by the deck chairs half way up along the pool and stretched out, taking in all the sun she could get, knowing that her every movement would turn the brunette on more than she already was._

_As Quinn began to towel herself off, Rachel dropped her things, removed her skirt, singlet, fedora and flip-flops and ran towards Quinn, gathering her around the waist and spear tackled her back into the pool._

_Once the two girl's heads resurfaced, Quinn grabbed Rachel, getting ready to slap her._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" she spat at the diva._

_Rachel grabbed Quinn's hands and placed one on her hip and the other into her bikini bottoms and leaned into Quinn's ear._

"_I had to tackle you in here, so you could feel exactly how wet you just made me." Rachel breathed into the stunned blonde's ear, adding her trademark lick up her earlobe for effect._

"_Oh… my God, R-Rach. We need to get out of here now. Every one's watching us." Quinn whimpered in Rachel's ear._

"_Is it because every one is watching us and you don't want be seen dead with me? Or is it because you want to fuck the living shit out of me right now?"_

"_Rach…" the stunned cheerleader breathed._

"_I thought it was the latter." Rachel smirked as she removed Quinn's hands from her and swam towards the steps._

_Leaving Quinn nervously in her wake, Rachel walked over to her things and scooped up her towel. Successfully drying herself off, she walked back over to the deckchairs and laid down. Fishing out her coconut oil, she started rubbing some in to her already tan legs, having only eyes for Quinn as the blonde just trod water watching the diva continue her ministrations on herself._

_After an hour of swimming around and playing water games with the others just to cool herself down, she saw the tree house that she spent a lot of time with Santana and Brittany in when they were younger and with that she remembered how beautiful the sunset was from up there. Noticing the sun starting to go down, she walked over to Rachel, who was having a chat and a laugh with Brittany about some funny cat story Brittany was harping on about._

_Finding her target, she bent down off to Rachel's side and whispered in her ear._

"_I'm going up the tree house. Be up there within five minutes."_

_The brunette's breath hitches, feeling the blonde breathing words only for her to hear. Losing her ability to talk all of a sudden, all she could do was calmly nod her head in response. Quinn left Rachel in her wake as she scooped up a towel, threw it over her shoulder and headed to the tree, with climbing it the only thing on her mind right now._

_People might call Brittany stupid, but when it came to love and reading people, she's one of the intuitive and smartest people you'd ever meet. She saw every thing that happened between Quinn and Rachel today and just knew there was something more, so when she saw Quinn approach Rachel, then walk away, she knew exactly what Quinn was going do – she did the same thing to Santana at their last Summer Slumber Shindig. So when she saw Quinn begin to climb the tree, that was when she started to hustle every one into the house for some dinner, hoping that the cheerleader was going to do the same to Rachel._

_Rachel noticed Brittany being to hustle everyone in for dinner, silently thanking the blue-eyed blonde and patiently waited the five minutes that Quinn requested then made her way over to the tree and started climbing. Having reached the top, she found the cheerleader laid back on the mattress up there surround by a few strategically, but well-burnt candles that highlighted the sheer perfection of how beautiful she thought Quinn was._

_She noticed how big the tree house was when she noticed she was able to comfortably stand in it. Seeing that it was still regularly used, she was thankful that Quinn thought of the candles because as soon as she laid down next to the blonde, she knew she wasn't going to move anytime soon._

"_Come here." Quinn huskily breathed, motioning the words with her finger._

_Rachel did as she was asked, tossing her towel and flip flops aside and knelt down near the blonde's hip. Throwing her leg over the cheerleader's hips, she straddled the blonde, causing her to groan when settled her weight on the blonde._

"_Before anything happens, I must know your intentions. What is that you want from me Quinn? To be my first, then humiliate me? To get me, begin to bed me then walk away? I know you don't do feelings but this time, I need to know."_

_Upon hearing these words, Quinn propped herself up on an elbow and pulled the brunette down into a passionate kiss… not one that was meant for just sex, but one that meant forever. A kiss that Quinn put everything she felt for Rachel, telling her that she is completely in love with her. A kiss that Rachel reciprocated with as much love and feeling as Quinn placed into it. _

_Rachel felt everything…_

* * *

Sleeping in a plane had its disadvantages: turbulence and being woken by staff in time for landing. Turns out nature's turbulence beat the first class flight attendant to it.

After landing and getting cleared through Italian customs, she turned her phone back on. After having messages and missed call notifications flood in, she checked her twitter and facebook. She know she's friends with Quinn and every now and then, takes it upon herself to face-stalk her every now and then… now being on of those times.

**Quinn Fabray**

Ciao, bella Roma ;)

12 minutes ago via mobile, near Rome, IT.

_WHAT?! Quinn's in Rome?! _

Rachel didn't even have time to answer her own question before flash bulbs started going off in her face. Making her way to a waiting car, after finally ridding most of the paparazzi, there she noticed the girl who still had her heart nine years later.

Watching Quinn place her suitcase in the trunk and proceed to get in the backseat, all Rachel could think was how much this is either a karmic slap in the face or fate.

Opting with the latter, she shoved a handful of bills in the driver's hand,

"Follow that car!"


	3. Gardenias And Tattoos

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

Relaxing in the back seat of the taxi on the way to her hotel, Quinn could only think of the name they were screaming, _"… Berry!"_,_ "Rachel…!"_,_ "… Ms. Rachel!"_,_ "Rachel Berry!"_ was all that was going through her head. Her name, Rachel Berry, on repeat like some crap song you have stuck in your head all day, only to Quinn, it wasn't a crap song. It was a name she tried to forget, but couldn't for so long… a name that has been on the tip of her tongue for seven long years.

Watching the city go by, she wondered why, of all the places that Rachel had to be, it just _had_ to be Rome. Here, on _her_ vacation.

_So much for six weeks of sunsets, good food and thinking of nothing, _the blonde mused to herself, as her taxi drove onward.

* * *

Placing her phone back in her bag, Rachel could do nothing but think of her past with Quinn. Wondering what happened between them did to them, how it affected Quinn, but she could only speak for herself. For the last seven years, the blonde did nothing but occupy and somehow sabotage every single one of Rachel's flings and relationships… if she could even call them that. Years of meaningless sex and countless one night stands kept Rachel somewhat sated, but given how much the blonde inhabited her mind, all she could picture were the blonde's dusky green eyes taking a hold on her, pushing her over the edge every time she came.

She leant forward in the backseat, clutching onto the front passenger seat, scanning the road ahead of her until she locked onto her target, watching the taxi carry the girl to a side street, where it came to a stop.

"Quick, go up a bit, turn around and park on the opposite side of street. I'll make it worth your while." She almost shouted to the driver.

Figuring he understood English, the brunette ducked down a bit as the taxi did a u-turn and came to a stop on the opposite side of the street. Raising her head a little, she watched intently as Quinn grabbed her suitcase and carry-on out of the trunk.

_Oh God, that body. Those taught abs, her sculptured arms. Gentle hands that had fingers that could work magic… _she sighed, feeling herself starting to pool. _Stop it Rachel! Now is not the time to be dwelling on that. I need a plan! _The brunette smirked, stamping the idea firmly into her over-zealous mind, as she watched the ex-Cheerio tip her driver and make her way towards the front doors of her hotel.

Seeing as she didn't have a plan of action just yet, Rachel looked through her travel information and itinerary for where she was staying.

_Sorry Jake, I know I gave you short notice to arrange the Hilton for me, but I'm staying here tonight. _Rachel thought to herself.

Giving Quinn another few minutes to check in so she didn't get seen, she pulled some extra cash out of her purse and handed it over to the driver, asking him to pop the trunk. Rachel pulled her sunglasses out and put them on as she stepped out of the taxi.

Pulling her Louis Vuitton suitcase and bowling bag behind her with a matching handbag slung upon her shoulder, she made her way across the street, heels clacking on the cobblestone as she arrived at doors of the hotel. Pushing her way through, she scanned the white marble foyer for any sing of the elusive blonde.

Thanking her stars that the blonde had already checked in, she made her way up to the concierge to check into a suite for herself.

* * *

Collapsing back on her bed after making her way into the bedroom of her own suite, Quinn could not shake the petite brunette from her mind. As she kicked her Louboutins off and stretched out, all she could feel was her memories of Rachel being consume her mind.

_Don't even fucking think about it! _The blonde cursed to her body, deciding that a shower, and a very cold shower at that, was the best option for her to get Rachel out of her head.

* * *

Climbing out of the shower, she dried the droplets off her well-toned body. Being a very successful lawyer, it afforded her a lot of luxuries in life, one of those being an excellent personal trainer 3 times a week. The blonde admired her sculpted physique as she finished towelling herself off and moved onto her hair, making her way back into the bedroom to fish something comfortable out of her suitcase to sleep in.

Noticing that dusk was falling around her and her stomach alerting her that she needs food, Quinn took towards the nightstand with a room service menu on it by the phone. Deciding on what she wanted along with a bottle of shiraz to go with it, she dialled and ordered what she wanted. Hanging up the phone, she flopped back down onto her bed and fumbled for the remote, fingering the buttons until she found a movie with English dialogue to watch as she waited for her dinner and relaxant to be brought up to her room.

Remembering her Facebook status she posted a few hours ago, she crawled to the end of the bed, where her bags remained unceremoniously dumped and fished through her carry-on for her iPhone. Grabbing the charger and travel adapter, she attached it to the socket in the wall and kicked back on her bed, unlocking her phone and checking her notifications.

Scrolling through her messages and missed calls, she replied to the ones from the office first and then scrolled through her messages from her friends.

'_Oi bitch! Send me a txt when u land! – S x'_

'_Q, do u know what time the ducks wake up in the park? I really wanna go feed them but Sanny says they're sleeping still because they dont wake up until after we have breakfast. Oh, she says 2 hurry up and txt her, coz she knows ur flight already landed. – Britts xo'_

'_Hey baby mama. Make sure u get some action while ur over there. I hear Italian girls are nuts in the sack. Nuthin compared 2 the P-man but! Txt me when u land – Puck ;)'_

Chuckling to herself as she read Santana's, Brittany's and Puck's messages, her Facebook going unchecked, she tapped out replies as she heard a knock and "Room service." echo throughout the suite.

Placing her tray back down on her bed and making her way to the mini bar in the living area, she grabbed a cork screw and the biggest wine glass she could find and padded her way on soft carpet back to the bedroom. Grabbing the bottle, she picked up her dinner plate and made her way out onto her balcony to watch the last of the sun disappear from the sky.

Sipping her shiraz after enjoying her dinner, Quinn watched the streets below come to life as Rachel and her landing in Rome today wandered back into her head.

_Why is she here? Of all the places I went on vacation, she just comes in and invades it. Claiming it as her own. Why can she not give me this? _She pondered, taking another sip of the dark liquid. She always loved drinking shiraz, as it reminded her of Rachel…

* * *

"_But why do I have to drink red Quinn? With the both of us having palates that are still developing tastes and textures, I'd much rather drink something a little lighter and more to my liking if I am to keep any dignity and pride and not make a fool of myself tonight." Rachel rambled on._

"_Rach, let me break it down for you. I just made a wonder vegan casserole and this drop compliments it nicely, not to mention, I really enjoy it and it's the easiest thing to have go walkabout from the liquor cabinet. Mother dearest loves her vodka too much that she doesn't give a crap about anything else that's in there." The blonde replied with finality, silently thanking God that her mother was away in Columbus for the weekend. _

"_Well, I guess I shall try it then, given that I have actually never had red wine before and you have gone to all this trouble to impress me." The diva shyly replied._

_Donning nothing but her smile reserved only for Rachel, Quinn poured some of the swirling maroon liquid into Rachel's glass, not enough to get tipsy on, but enough to compliment dinner and let her relax a little…_

* * *

_There you go again! Stop torturing me! Get the fuck out of my head Rachel! After everything that happened between us, you're still engrained and so intricately involved in my life. _Quinn trailed off, in her thoughts.

"You have no idea how much I'm still in love with you all these years later."The blonde whispered aloud, wiping a sole tear that threatened to fall from her swirling green orbs.

Feeling a brush of cool night air rush through the warmth of the night, the ex-cheerleader made her way inside, bringing her glass, quarter-full bottle and plate inside. Setting the plate back on the tray, she placed it on the desk, not being bothered to take it to the kitchenette. Treading her way back to her back, she stripped off along the way down to nothing but her underwear and climbed into her bed. Checking her phone one last time, she switched off all alarms on it and turned the lamp off, hoping to some higher power that she has a peaceful, Rachel-free sleep tonight.

* * *

Rachel finished her dinner and put her things at the sink. Spotting a lemon in the fruit basket, she decided that a hot water and lemon would be the best thing for her to drink, given that she was on a plane for quite some time today. Putting the kettle on, she manoeuvred her way back to her bedroom to get ready for bed.

Spying the room service menu by the phone, she had an idea pop into her head.

_Knowing Quinn, she's had almost a bottle of wine to relax and has forgotten to order her breakfast. Well, Quinn Fabray, that's a mistake you will not be regretting in the morning. I'm ordering your breakfast for you and if I'm not mistaken, whenever you travelled anywhere when we were younger, you'll still have the same thing every time! _She smirked to herself as she began jotting down Quinn's order.

Calling the concierge in for a special request, she hung up the phone and smiled happily to herself and returned to the kitchen and made her drink. Finishing it up as she wondered what she was to do whilst on vacation here, she cleaned up her mug, putting everything back to how it was before it and started removing her clothing as she walked back into the bedroom and headed towards the bathroom to shower and clean herself up for bed.

Climbing out of the still-steaming shower, she spied her tattoo of an ornate Q with a heart on the tip of the tail. She remembered the night she got it…

* * *

"_I don't care what you say Kurt, I'm doing this, with or without your blessing. Have a wonderful evening and I'll speak to you tomorrow." The brunette hung up, throwing her phone down on her couch in her dressing room._

_Rachel had an epiphany of some sorts when she was walking down Fifth Avenue that day. The ornate iron of the gating on the beautiful stone town housing reminded her of how strong, yet beautiful Quinn was to her. She saw an iron sign containing a delicate capital q and decided then on the spot that she had to get one like it to remind her of the Quinn she loved so much. _

_After her performance that night, she walked into the nearest tattoo studio with that letter q set firmly in her mind. Given that Quinn was and still is the love of her life, she decided to get a small heart on the tail of the q. The artist more than happily obliged with her request and she walked out with an inch-high Q inked delicately on her hip forever. Being that it was for Quinn and it was to remain on her body forever, she knew that when it came to one Quinn Fabray, she knew she'd do anything for her._

* * *

Brought back to her reality after she finished towelling herself dry, she walked out of the bathroom, throwing a satin robe over her petite frame and went around her suite, fixing the last of her things, turning the lights off and making sure her door was locked. She wandered her way back to her bedroom and went to her balcony door and opened it, leaving it ajar enough to let the cool breeze blow in off the Mediterranean to cool down the Italian summer heat still lingering in her room, and made her way over the bed, taking the robe off as she went and threw it on the trunk at the foot of her bed.

Wearing nothing more than her tattoo and clambered into the king size bed, wishing the blonde who held her heart in this very hotel was falling asleep with her.

* * *

"Room service."

Quinn jolted awake at the knock and words echoing throughout the room. She scrambled to her nightstand to check the time,

_9:01am._

"You've got to be fucking kidding me?!" she muttered under her breath as the knock rang out again.

Grabbing the top sheet off the bed, she wrapped it around her tanned and toned body and made her way over to the suite door, bumping into the coffee table as she went.

Reaching the door, she opened it and was surprised to see a waiter holding a silver tray with a gorgeous breakfast spread out on it. With a very confused look on her face, she let him in.

"I swear I didn't order this last night when I checked in or when I ordered my dinner either." She trailed off, watching him place it on her bed.

"This is compliments of a guest staying here at the hotel. Please enjoy and have a wonderful day, Ms. Fabray." The waiter smiled politely as he exited out the room, with nothing but a soft thud from the door following behind him.

"Compliments of a guest staying here." She mused to herself as she made her way to her steaming hot breakfast in bed.

Upon nearing the bed, that's when she noticed it: a white gardenia propped up in a thin glass vase with a light olive green ribbon tied around it in a perfect bow. Seeing the bow, that's when she remembered Rachel telling her about the corsage she told Finn to get her for their junior prom.

"Oh Rachel." She whispered, grasping gently at the gardenia and inhaling its scent deeply.

With tears forming in her vibrant green eyes, she took the cover off her breakfast: maple waffles with bacon, fresh mascarpone cream, blueberries and extra maple syrup on the side. Finishing her breakfast, she checked her phone. With no messages that needed attending to, she dressed herself in blue denim min shorts a fitted white t-shirt, strappy black sandals and a sand-coloured fedora and that's when it hit her.

"Oh my God, Rachel's in this hotel too! Shit!" she panicked.

After what breakfast reminded her of, she realised Rachel was in the hotel too. So, upon her fleeting instinct, she began packing her things up as quickly as she could. Pulling her suitcases towards the door, wanting to hightail it out of there as quick as she could, she stopped abruptly and went back to the remains of her breakfast and clutched at the vase with the gardenia in it. Taking the ribbon off of it, she tied it back around the flower and grabbed the book she had in her satchel that was slung over her strong shoulders and opened it up, placing the gorgeous flower in amongst the pages.

Inhaling the scent of the flower one last time, she closed the book and secured it with some kitchen string she found in the utensil draw last night, when she combing for cutlery last night and shoved the book back in her bag. Walking back over to her case and duffle bag, she walked out of the room and towards the elevator, with nothing but the thud of the door following behind her. Stepping into the elevator, she could've sworn she heard her name and a knock on her suite door as the doors closed behind her.

* * *

Hearing the elevator ding somewhere near her, Rachel tentatively knocked on Quinn's door.

"Quinn?"

Receiving no response, she knocked a little louder again, repeating the blonde's name. Upon hearing the elevator ding again as its doors closed, Rachel knew she was too late.

She'd just missed Quinn.


	4. Falling In Love With Italian Countryside

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

With her case and bag in tow, Quinn floored it out of the doors of the hotel and was met with the bright Italian sunshine. Thanking God that she had her satchel slung around her, she fished out her Ray-Ban aviators and put them on. She already wanted to cry and didn't need the sun aiding with her breaking down – she was an ex-head Cherrio who was trained under the torturous Sue Sylvester, so she had a lot more dignity and pride than to break down in the middle of a Roman street.

Hailing a taxi and having one stop almost immediately at her feet, she roughly threw her things in and climbed in, giving the driver directions to a hire car depot that she'd found online whilst waiting for the elevator. Releasing the breath that Quinn felt like she'd been holding onto since she walked out of her suite earlier that morning, she watched the front doors fly open with a petite brunette being the force following behind them that threw them open.

Not being able to take in the sight of Rachel frantically looking around for her, she turned around in her seat and let her tears fall as a bellowed "QUINN!" followed her down the cobblestone street.

* * *

Rachel collapsed, shrieking Quinn's name out into the street as she watched the taxi she knew would've been carrying the love of her life away from her. Not wanting to cause anymore a scene than she already would have, the brunette picked herself up off the cobblestones, wiping the tears from her delicate features and took a few deep breaths, composing herself before she trudged back inside towards the elevator.

Making it back to her suite, Rachel barely had time to close the door before she collapsed in a heap on the ground, letting it all out as she curled up, sobbing against her front door.

_Why are still running away Quinn? It's been seven fucking years. I thought I made it clear that I loved you, obviously not clear enough; otherwise you wouldn't be running away from this again. We haven't even said hello to each other in seven years and you're already leaving. Why? _Rachel wondered and asked herself.

Deciding that forgetting was her best option, she went to the mini bar to pick her poison, but before getting there, she spied her iPhone on her bed. Remembering Quinn's status that practically led her to the blonde, she picked it up deciding to Face-stalk Quinn, seeing if the elusive ex-cheerleader would leave a clue on a status as to where she was headed. Clicking on her favourites, she clicked on Quinn's profile. Scrolling down to find her most recent status, she was found nothing but yesterday's status with a few likes and comments.

**Quinn Fabray  
**Ciao, bella Roma ;)  
21 hours ago via mobile, near Rome, IT.

_Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce and 3 others like this._

Rachel clicked to view the comments left on Quinn's status and found several from people she had no idea who they were and found a few familiar names.

**- Santana Lopez**:Oi, bitch. I know you've landed already! Txt me already so I'm not stressing over you getting mugged or whatever x

- **Brittany S. Pierce**: Q, Sanny's getting impatient with u not msging her back. She's pissed of coz she had 2 stop with her lady kisses down ther-kjq2hei87yqhgw

**- Brittany S. Pierce**: San said I can't finish that comment. She says 2 hurry up. Hope ur having fun x

**- Kurt Hummel**: Roma! Fabulous! Even though I love **Blaine Anderson** very much and it's counter-productive to you, give me some feedback on the hot Italian men will you? :P Have a great time! x

Reading Santana, Brittany and Kurt's comments on Quinn's status, Rachel had a, by her standards, genius idea pop into her head.

"That's it! Kurt Hummel, you have a huge treat coming your way if you do this!" she exclaimed in excitement.

Clicking on Kurt's name, she waited for his profile to pop up and clicked on 'Message'.

_Hi Kurt!_

_I know you're most probably doing the dirty with your lover, which I really do not wish to think about, but I also know that you check Facebook religiously as soon as a notification goes off on your iPhone, so I know you'll get this almost as soon as I send it. So, having said that, I have a massive favour to ask of you…_

_You know how Quinn's in Rome? Well, by some karmic, serendipitous fate, it turns out we're both in the same city at the same time on out vacations and I may or may not have seen her leaving the airport yesterday and followed her to her hotel. Being that I know Quinn more than she may ever let on, I took the liberty of ordering her post drink-almost-a-bottle-of-wine-to-relax-and-lull-her-sleep breakfast that I know she wouldn't have remembered to order when she ordered her dinner last night. Turns out I was right, again, and I am a hundred percent certain that she got it and took off running scared because she knows I was in the same hotel as her. _

_Now, I know you're still scalding me for getting that tattoo two years ago after my second night of Spring Awakening, but I need you to do me this favour and inconspicuously ask Quinn what she's up to or or her destination or where she's staying. Ask her where she's headed and recommend a great hotel or villa there and tell me. Something, anything… as long as it gives me either her current location or where she may be staying – preferably the latter of the two, so I know to avoid it and make sure she stays in the same place for at least a few days and not scare her off whilst I come up with some grand plan to win her back and show her how much I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with her._

_If you do this for me, I will you any designer item of your choice and take both you and Blaine to dinner as a huge thank-you for helping me get the love of my life back._

_Please reply in due haste, as it is imperative that I know where she's staying as soon as possible. Say hi to Blaine for me!_

_Love,_

_Rachel B. Berry x_

Rachel read over her message again, knowing full well that she made herself out to be a little stalker-ish, but if trading the latest Marc Jacobs patent leather military jacket and dinner for two, hopefully four, as she's hoping she'll have Quinn on her arm by the time she flies back to the States, then it'll be unbelievably worth it. Hitting send, Rachel headed to the bedroom and stripped, heading to the bathroom to cool down from the Italian heat. Stepping into the cascading water, she held onto high hope, her ability of knowing those she loves very well and perhaps a little faith, hoping she'd get a reply from Kurt as soon as possible, all the while, not hearing her phone go off as she closed the shower door.

* * *

Hearing his phone go off, vibrating on his nightstand, Kurt fumbled for it as he rubbed eyes, trying to clear his vision. Picking it up, he saw it was a Facebook notification. Opening it up, he saw that it was from Rachel.

_Damn you, waking me up Rach! _Kurt silently cursed to himself, as he clicked on the message she sent him two minutes ago.

Kurt woke up very quickly after reading her borderline-novel of a message because all he saw was '… _I need you to do me this favour and inconspicuously ask Quinn what she's up to or where she's headed or where she's staying. Ask her where she's headed and recommend a great hotel or villa there and tell me.' _and '_If you do this for me, I will you any designer item of your choice and take both you and Blaine to dinner as a huge thank-you for helping me get the love of my life back.'_.

As soon as he read that last part, he shot wide awake, hastily replying that he'd do it and that she'd better make it worth his while. Getting up to make himself a coffee, Kurt went onwards with Rachel's plan and he couldn't help think what a superb opportunity this was to help play cupid.

* * *

Driving along the E45 highway with her iPhone plugged in the auxiliary input, playing her 'Feel Good' playlist, Quinn felt herself being drawn in by the gorgeous vineyards stretching for miles around her on either side of the road as she drove down to Naples, stopping in at Frosinone and Caserta and numerous wineries along the way, stretching a two-hour drive out to a six-hour drive.

Finally arriving at her hotel twenty minutes out of Naples, surrounded by olive trees and peace and quite and smack bang on the beach, Quinn got out of the car and stretched, relishing in the heat the sun gave, rejuvenating her body back to normal. She decided to leave her bags in the trunk and grabbed her satchel, phone and keys out of the ignition and locked the car, heading towards hotel reception to book a secluded villa for the next several weeks.

Being impressed by the privacy and peacefulness by the beach that this place offered was what made Quinn's decision final in choosing this place to stay. Seeing the expanse of crystal blue water stretch out as far as the eye could see as she walked along the path towards reception.

Booking a villa for the next several weeks and being told to enjoy her stay, she wandered back to her car, unlocked it and started it up, driving around to her villa a half mile away from main building of the hotel. Parking up, she grabbed her things and let herself inside.

"Holy crap!" she exclaimed with a smile crossing her face as she made her way through the villa, exploring the open-plan kitchen as she walked in, a living area with French doors and billowing white chiffon curtains that opened up onto a massive deck with a private path leading down to a secluded part of the beach and guest bedroom and bathroom that hung off to the right of the living and kitchen.

But it was the master bedroom that really impressed her the most; a king size bed covered in thousand-count white Egyptian cotton sheets that was nestled between two black mahogany nightstands that faced a set of partition doors that could open up as a single door or be completely folded away and open the bedroom right up onto a deck that contained a sunk stone hot tub off to the left and private access to the beach in the middle of the deck with a gorgeous mahogany round dining table big enough for the romanticism of two people off to the right of the deck.

Thinking that this was heaven, she could just about die and be happy. Walking back through, grabbing her things that she unceremoniously dumped inside the front door, she walked them back to the master bedroom, smiling like a Cheshire cat as she went, finally happy that she could have some time to herself with no Rachel.

Little did Quinn know that Rachel had other ideas in store for her...

* * *

Rachel stepped out of the shower, wondering if Kurt got back to her or not. So she wrapped a towel around herself and walked back into the bedroom where she left her phone. She picked it up and unlocked it, almost screaming in excitement that Kurt messaged her back. She clicked on the notification and her Facebook inbox popped up.

_Rachel,_

_I am none-the-less thrilled to be woken up for anything less than what you've offered for me to help you win your darling Quinn back. Having said that, I will make my request now:_

_- The latest-season Marc Jacobs patent leather military jacket.  
__- Dinner for two (two being Blaine and I) at Nobu.  
__- Dinner for two (two being you and I) at a restaurant of your choosing, and,  
__- Dinner for four (four being Blaine and I and Quinn and yourself) at a restaurant of your choosing, subject to her coming home with you of course. _

_I've posted a status on her wall asking her where she's at, very inconspicuously of course, which I hope you'll look at. Do not comment on it or like it either, otherwise she'll know there's an ulterior motive behind me posting it._

_I know how you feel about Quinn and if what Britts has said to me about Quinn, I have no doubt in my mind that she feels the same way. For the love of God, do NOT push her otherwise she'll run and you may never see her again and I don't think that's what you want, considering this may be your only chance you get with her._

_If you need any assistance, I'll be more than happy to set some things up behind the scenes with Britts to try and convince Santana that this is what you both want, then that way, with Santana telling Quinn how it is, she'll listen to her heart more than her head and hopefully make the move into being with you._

_Please try not send me anything in the morning your time – you woke me up at 2 am!_

_Have a gorgeous day,  
__K x_

Rachel reread his message three times to make sure she understood it to the fullest extent then clicked back on his profile, heading to his wall. She scrolled down and there, she found the post he wrote on Quinn's wall.

**Kurt Hummel Quinn Fabray**:  
_Quinn-freakin'-Fabray! How are you? I saw your status about being in Rome. How's bella Italia treating our girl? You must be having a wonderful time, no doubt. We must catch up and talk all about it when you get back to New York! Have fun, K x  
_42 mins ago via mobile, near Chelsea, New York City, NY

Rachel wanted nothing more than to comment on it saying that she was in Italy too, but she knew that Kurt made it clear that she was not to hassle the blonde via Facebook at all during her vacation. Whilst debating whether or not to message Kurt asking him to message Brittany on her behalf, a comment appeared on Kurt's post.

- **Quinn Fabray**:  
_Oh my God Kurt! I think I've fallen in love with Italy! The vineyards stretch on for miles and there are olive trees almost wherever you look. Cascading valleys and rolling hills that are just gorgeous. I just pulled into my hotel and just unloaded my things at my villa – yes, I'm staying at a secluded villa on the Mediterranean just outside Naples looking at crystal blue water just stretches for miles as I write this - you jealous? :P Can't wait to come back to New York and tell you all about it! Talk soon Q x  
_24 mins ago via mobile, near Naples, IT.

Rachel's heart leapt at Kurt's ability to get Quinn to open up and thanked her lucky stars that he was still in her life. As an extra thank-you to Kurt, she went online to her favourite flower store and had a dozen pink lilies sent to Kurt and Blaine's as a huge thank-you in advance for doing what he did for her.

Throwing her phone down, she rushed to her cases and pulled out a powder blue dress, black flats and got dressed. After fixing her self up in the bathroom, she gathered the rest of her things and threw them in her suitcase and with that, took one last around the suite and zipped her case up. She grabbed her phone, threw it back in her purse and, grabbing her cases, wheeled out the door with the thud of the door following her to the elevator.

She made it down to reception and checked out, without failing to ask where the nearest car rental was. She thanked the concierge, leaving a hefty tip, and hailed a taxi. Receiving one almost immediately, she put her things in the trunk and gave the address to the driver, leaving the hotel in her wake as the taxi took off down the cobblestone street with nothing but a smiling Rachel in the backseat.

Looking up secluded villas just outside Naples in the back of the taxi, she found the one that suggested the most privacy, which the brunette knew, is exactly what Quinn would want. Taking note of the address, she paid and thanked the driver and went in, walking out with a set of keys five minutes later.

* * *

Driving along, she knew exactly what Quinn meant when she was talking about falling in love with beauty of the Italian countryside. Watching the sun slowly begin it's decent into the late afternoon over hills and valleys laced with vineyards that stretched for miles in every direction. Deciding that it's too good an opportunity to waste, she stopped in at a few of them, picking up several bottles of chardonnay and shiraz to last the next week or so.

She pulled into the hotel, parking up and looking at the gorgeous view in front of her.

_No wonder Quinn was so eager to get away from me. Well, apart from the fact that it's me, but look at this view! _She gushed to herself, thanking God again for the miracle that is Kurt Hummel.

* * *

Quinn settled the last of her things in and deciding it was still light enough, changed into a sky blue and silver bikini and headed down to the beach to cool off from the Italian heat. Taking a dip and reading on the beach for a while, she noticed the sun falling over the horizon into twilight.

Noticing just how dark it was getting, Quinn packed up her things and wandered back up the path to her bedroom, where she tied her hair up and wrapped a fresh towel around her waist and began to prepare for dinner, giving herself a mental pat on the back for not thinking about Rachel since she left Rome this morning.

* * *

Rachel made her way to reception and booked herself a villa, asking to be put at the other end of the complex, so Quinn wouldn't know she was here. Making her way back to her car, she jumped back in and started it up, thinking she probably shouldn't be staying here, but either way, she took off down the drive and found her villa, number twenty eight, nestled amongst palm trees and lush fernery. While Quinn favoured the more traditional surroundings at her end of the property, Rachel went with the more tropical that they offered at the other end and she thankful for that thing about Quinn too.

After taking her things inside, Rachel mused about in the kitchen, admiring their selection of fresh produce that she requested to have brought down to her villa. Making herself some bruschetta with some fresh Roma tomatoes, olives and red onion on some lightly-toasted Vienna loaf and drizzled in olive oil, she cracked open a bottle of shiraz poured herself a glass, settling down for the night.

* * *

Down the other end of the property, in her own villa, Quinn was just putting the finishing touches on a seafood marinara she made with the fresh produce she bought today on her two-hour drive that turned into six. Finishing up her scrumptious dinner, she put on some soft music, lit several candles and started up the hot tub outside. Getting in, she just let her wine and the music take her away for the rest of the night.


	5. Declarations Of Love Under The Stars

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

Before Rachel knew it, a week flew by her. She spent her days lazing about on the beach, soaking up the sun, swimming and snorkelling, not to mention going into Naples to explore the beautiful seaside city, taking in all the sights and beauty that is southern Italy.

As she made her way from down the path from her villa to the beach to cool off after coming home from another beautiful day exploring the surrounding wineries, she halted at the end of the path, just before her feet hit the sand.

There she was: Quinn Fabray.

The beautiful, stunning, yet frustrating, love of Rachel's life frolicking happily in the water with only a white bikini bottom on. Upon seeing the blonde basking in the warm afternoon sunlight in nothing but a scrap of white material barely covering her femininity, Rachel practically pooled at the sight, her memory recalling the last time she saw Quinn in a white bikini.

Getting carried away in her memories, she only just managed to dive into the fernery, out of sight, at the end of path as Quinn made her way out of the water up to her belongings on the beach. She saw the ex-Cheerio look up, like she heard something, but must've dismissed it as Rachel watched her continue making her way to her belongings on the still-warm sand. The brunette kept a hold of the palm frond blocking her view as she watched her love intently; paying attention to every ministration the blonde beauty made whilst drying her self off. She watched eloquent hands glide the white fabric up toned and now tanned legs, over her sex and up her smooth stomach, followed by two tanned and very naked breasts to have the towel encase her wet blonde locks and dry her hair with seductive effortlessness. Rachel remembered the last time she watched the blonde dry herself off like this, albeit, she was only clothed in a little more than she was now, but she still couldn't help being so ridiculously turned on by every move Quinn made in the lowering afternoon sun.

Still in her hiding place in amongst the fronds, Rachel watched Quinn lay down on the deserted beach and pick up a book of some kind and begin reading. Paying attention to the woman who was no more than fifty meters away, she watched delicate hands turn another page until one of those hands came to rest in the middle of the blonde's chest; tiptoeing fingers slowly dancing towards one of her breasts.

Upon seeing what Quinn's hand was doing to herself, Rachel's mouth dropped agape at the sight, suddenly realising what Quinn must be reading. Only one word came to her mind; erotica.

Rachel put her towel on the ground and knelt down on the soft folded fabric, knowing if she moved now, there's every chance that she'll either be seen or heard by the turned-on blonde, whose hand slowly trickled down her taught stomach and began playfully dancing with the waste band of her white bikini bottom.

* * *

Feeling her self become more turned on by the novel she was reading, Quinn's delicate fingertips began playing with the only barrier between her and an orgasm. Knowing she needed nothing but a release, she couldn't help but slip her hand beneath the fabric and let her index finger glide deliciously over her throbbing clit. She ran her finger around the swollen nub and although she knew the territory all too well, Quinn let her hands explore further, sliding her finger through her wet folds.

Quinn's hips bucked into her hand at the contact, with the heel of her palm smacking into her aching clit. Letting a moan out at the contact, she circled her clit once more before finding her drenched entrance and let a finger glide in. She groaned at her walls feeling her digit slowly move in and out of her wetness. Quinn knew she could do this for hours and not get herself unless she let _her_ in, but she wanted a release now and let the only thing enter her mind that would do it for her.

Moaning at the thought, Quinn imagined that it was Rachel's finger slowly thrusting in and out of her, adding another finger and groaning at the contractions her walls made every time she slid her fingers in and out of her dripping sex. Picturing Rachel's hands doing everything to her, Quinn dropped her book and coursed her free hand into her bikini and found her clit and began circling it hastily.

"Ohh… fu-fuck!" she breathlessly let out at the sensations rushing through her as her hand sped up, matching the pace her hips were now bucking into her hand.

"Fuck me, Rach!" she moaned out as her hands kept speeding up, keeping in time with the blonde's need to push deeper into her core. Finding her sweet spot that sent pleasurable waves throughout her core, she continued her ministrations on herself, feeling the white heat begin to spread through her entire body.

"Rachel!" Quinn moaned as she came, riding her fingers and guiding herself through her orgasm as a lone tear escaped her clenched eyes.

With nothing but thoughts of Rachel swimming seductively through her head, she slowed her fingers down as the last of her orgasm left her and gently extricated her fingers from her wet sex, shuddering as she pulled out of her core.

* * *

Rachel heard Quinn moan out her name and it was all she needed to send herself tumbling off the proverbial cliff as she rode her two fingers, coursing herself through her white hot orgasm that only Quinn, after all these years, could only make her feel.

Removing her fingers from her bikini, she wiped her wet fingers on her towel and watched the blonde pick herself and her things up off the beach and head back along the shore to her own villa.

Deciding that the coast was clear, Rachel quietly came out of her hiding place amongst the fernery and followed the path down a little past the end of it and watched Quinn walk away. When she lost sight of the blonde in amongst the olive trees, the petite brunette made her way back up the path to her own villa, noticing twilight fall around her.

* * *

Quinn walked up the path to her bedroom and turned to watch the last thirty seconds of light fall over the horizon, wondering why Rachel was the only person who could make her scream out an orgasm like that.

_Of all the things she has complete control over, it has to be her being the only person that can make me come. No one else has that effect on me and after inhaling the scent of that gardenia last week at breakfast, she's the only one that can break me down like that and still have her way with me._ Quinn admitted to herself as she walked in her bathroom, removing her towel and still-soaked bikini bottoms as she went, and turned on the shower.

As she stepped into the shower, Rachel was the only thing on Quinn's mind still. Grabbing the washcloth, she dribbled some of her favourite vanilla and frangipani body wash over it and began lathering herself in the scented wash, scrolling her cloth-laden hands all over body, working out some of the kinks in her muscles along the way.

Coasting her hand down her left arm, she grazed her left breast and subsequently the script that was inked just under there permanently. It was a quote from a letter that Rachel wrote her when they were in their senior year that Rachel told Quinn not to open until she graduated from Yale. She smiled fondly at the memory of holding the yellowing parchment, coated in black handwritten script, and reading that letter…

* * *

_My beloved Quinn,_

_Congratulations! I knew you would make it to this moment in your life. You have been through so much to get to where you are today and I admire your strength and conquering ability to persevere even when times are tough and for that alone, I congratulate you again._

_My deepest regret though, is not being there to see you receiving your diploma and hearing your class-elected valedictorian speech, which, through your determination and strength, I know you would've won and done proud of, but enough of that for now._

_I'm writing this as an extension of my heart that you so delicately and graciously hold within your hands. You have been the keeper of the key to my heart ever since I saw you walk through the halls of McKinley High on our first day of freshman year. You were nothing but an angel that floated through those doors in your cerulean blue sundress and white cardigan and I was so breath-taken and spellbound by your beauty and gracefulness that just emanated off every surface as you walked by me. It felt like the heavens had opened up and produced perfection that I never thought I could ever have and I will always remember that as the day I fell unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you._

_You have grown so much Quinn, and I have had nothing but the pleasure of watching you nurture the idea that is who you are as a person and you being to finally accept the things that have happened to you since we've known each other and I cannot thank you any more than I can here for letting me be a part of watching you blossom into the astounding and beautiful young woman who reads this today._

_I may either still be in your life or I may not, but if I'm not, I hope that when fate decides that it's right, we both can find each other again and be with each other._

_I'll keep a place in my heart - you see it shining through,  
So please, find a way to my heart and I will follow you.  
__Now, I know you haven't made your mind up yet, but I will never do you wrong,  
__Because I knew, from the moment we met, no doubt in my mind, we belong._

_Irrevocably and unconditionally, I love you,  
__Your Rachel x_

* * *

Quinn let go of the script embedded in her skin and let the water cascade down her body, washing her fresh of any bubbles that remained on her lightly bronzed skin.

She stepped out the shower and reached for a fresh towel and began drying herself off. Finishing up and making her way back into the bedroom, she took out a tank top, panties and a pair of her old Cheerios training shorts and slipped into them, grabbing her phone as she made her way towards the kitchen to pour herself a sinfully large glass of wine and begin to prepare dinner for herself, wishing that a certain brunette was joining her.

* * *

With some of her favourite jazz tracks playing softly in the background, Rachel lit every candle she could see and grabbed her dinner plate and glass of wine and headed towards the cosy table made for two out on her bedroom's deck. Placing her plate and glass down on the table and sitting down she remembered the last time she had dinner underneath the stars…

* * *

"_Baby, where are we going?"_

"_That is for me to know and for you to find out. Just be patient!" Rachel teased as she drove along._

"_But I wanna know. Please?" Quinn replied, dragging out the last syllable._

"_Well, looks like you'll get to know, because we're here now." _

"_About time." The blonde smirked playfully._

_Rachel turned the car off, got out and quickly ran around to the passenger's side to open Quinn's door._

"_So chivalrous of you, babe." Quinn smiled towards at the brunette._

"_Only for you." Rachel replied, placing a gentle kiss on Quinn's lips._

_Rachel closed the door after Quinn and moved to open the trunk, grabbing a picnic basket and blanket out of it and closed it behind her with a soft thud. Clutching the basket in one hand and draping the blanket over her shoulder, she wrapped her free hand around Quinn's and pulled her along, leading her down a secluded path to a small clearing on the edge of a moon-lit lake._

"_Oh wow, Rach. It's beautiful." Quinn gasped in awe._

"_Aren't you glad I didn't tell you now? It would've ruined the beauty of the surprise."_

"_That I am. I'm glad you could be patient enough for the both of us to not tell me." Quinn said, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist, pulling her in for a long, passionate kiss._

"_Come on you, dinner will get cold if you keep that up." Rachel replied, pulling away from the blonde, beginning to set out the picnic she packed for them._

"_I can't believe you went to all this trouble for me." The blonde gushed as Rachel smoothed out the blanket and began neatly setting out their dinner._

_Finishing laying everything out and putting the basket off to the side a little, Rachel stood up and walked over to Quinn, grabbing her by the hand and leading her back to the blanket, motioning for her to sit down._

"_I wanted this date to be special. It's out six-month anniversary today and I wanted to show you just how much I love you." Rachel leant over, placing a kiss on Quinn's lips._

"_Baby, that's the first time you've told me you love me." Quinn said, smiling towards the brunette._

"_I wanted it to be special and I wanted nothing more that to mean it when I told you exactly how I felt. Quinn Fabray, I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you. With everything you are and everything you want to be."_

"_I love you too, Rachel. More than I can ever possibly show you." Quinn replied, returning the kiss Rachel gave her moments earlier._

_The two girls enjoyed their dinner, basked in moonlight, underneath the stars. Rachel, being the hopeless romantic she is, relished in the opportunity to take advantage of the warm summer night. Rolling over, finding beauty illuminated upon Quinn's delicate features, she placed a gentle kiss upon ruby red lips and the two continued to make love for the rest of the night, affirming their love for the other, several times, underneath nothing but a black canvas that held the stars sprayed from the fireworks they both felt that night._

* * *

_Ah, Quinn. Dinner, being the simplest of things, yet you still manage to pop in unannounced. _Rachel reluctantly sighed to herself as she began eating her vegan cannelloni in harmonious silence, wondering what could've been.

Finishing up her dinner, she cleared away her dishes, returning the kitchen to its pristine state. She turned off her music and blew out the candles and headed towards her bedroom. Deciding that it was way too warm to comfortably sleep and factoring in her missing out on a dip this afternoon, she stripped down and changed into a bikini, grabbed a towel and slipped out the door and headed off towards the beach.

Wandering along the deserted beach, she looked out towards the ocean, seeing nothing but water reflecting the black canvas of stars and full moon overhead. Deciding that this was a suitable enough place to swim, closer to Quinn, but far enough away that she won't get noticed by the blonde, she put her things down on the beach and walked to the water's edge, revelling in the warmth of the lapping water against her skin.

* * *

Clearing away her mess from dinner, Quinn, decided that it was either too hot still or she was wearing too many clothes, padded her way to the bedroom and, not bothering to change, grabbed a towel, closing the door to the deck behind her and headed towards the beach.

She left her towel on the sand and took off her tank top and shorts and wandered down to the water's edge, revelling in the beauty of the full moon that reflected on the water. Stepping into the still, calm water, she noticed how peaceful and quiet it was out here at night, except the sound of something or _someone_ frolicking about in the water a little ways down the beach. Being the inquisitive person she is, she walked along the water's edge down the beach, seeing the person or thing making the noise come closer to her with each step she took.

She got closer and closer and saw the figure come up out of the water and throw her head back, sending an arch of water off the tips of her long dark locks as she threw her head back.

_Oh my God! That's not possible._

"Rachel?"

The brunette turned around, knowing that there was only one person who said her name like that.

"Quinn?"


	6. Trials Of The Heart

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

Standing there dumfounded, both Quinn and Rachel just… looked… at each other for what felt like hours. Several minutes after Quinn said Rachel's name, she broke the silence.

"Rachel! What the hell are you doing here? Making it a mission to follow me around Italy and ruin my vacation?"

"No, Quinn. I'm not. I had no idea you were staying here." Rachel replied, walking out of the water, grabbing her towel off the beach and throwing it at Quinn.

"What's this for?" Quinn asked, catching the towel the brunette threw at her.

"I want you to wrap it around yourself. You being almost completely naked is distracting me." She shyly replied, walking back to the water to cool off.

"Oh. Thanks." Quinn smirked, knowing she still had control over the brunette like that all these years later.

"You still didn't answer my question Rachel. Why are you here?"

"I am simply on vacation, Quinn. Am I not allowed to go to Italy whilst you're in the country? Because last time I checked, I can vacate at any destination that I choose. It just so happens to be, by nothing other than plain serendipitous coincidence that we are both here in Italy at the same time." Rachel rambled on.

"I'm well aware that we can both vacate wherever we choose, but _why, _of all the places on this Earth, are you here? Why do you have to be here? I've spent the last seven years trying to focus on me. Focus on becoming a successful lawyer and making something of myself, which I have done and I'm here taking a six-week vacation in Italy because I deserve a break from you. I deserve some time out from all the control you still seem to have over me all these years later and yet, here you are. Not giving me a break, once again!" the blonde spat out.

"Quinn! You seem to think that you are the only one that is hurting because of what happened between us. Do you have any idea how much it killed me to have to do that to us? I wanted nothing more than a future with you, but I needed to prove myself and make something of myself before I came back for you! I hated leaving you to better myself for a future for us!" Rachel shouted at the blonde.

"You think playing the victim card is going to work with me, Rachel? I don't see you being the one still in love with the girl who broke your heart seven years ago." Quinn retaliated.

"Y-you're… what?"

"You heard me!"

"You're still in love with me Quinn?" the diva hesitantly asked.

"Do not make me repeat it! You have no idea how much it hurts to admit that I am still in love with you, even though you were the one who obliterated my heart into nothing the day we both left for college! Do you not even remember the day you shattered me?" Quinn replied, swiping at the tears that were threatening to fall from the memory...

* * *

_Rachel pulled up to the train station and parked her car._

"_Okay, so your train leaves at 11am and mine doesn't leave until 2.25pm. That should be enough time for me to get back home, collect the last of my things and make the train in time." Rachel bluntly stated, not looking at Quinn._

"_Rach, baby. What's wrong? Why are you beginning to cry? Talk to me."_

"_Quinn, I love you so, so much. I love you so much that it hurts and I want to be with you so badly, that I can't be with you."_

"_We can do this, Rach. We can make us work, I know we can. I want to be there for you, spending as much time as we can between college and days off and your rehearsals. I want to make a life for us with no-one but you by my side every step of the way."_

"_I know, believe me Quinn, I know you do. I am so sure of your persevering strength and you taking Yale by storm-"_

"_W-wait a minute!"_

"_- with all your talent and this is something that I need to let you do on your own and it kills me."_

"_Wait a minute…w-wait. A-are you… breaking up with me?"_

"_I'm setting you free." Rachel replied._

"_Oh m-my God!" the blonde turned away, breaking down almost completely._

"_Do you know how hard this is for? How many times I've cried about this?"_

"_No. N-no! I'm not going anywhere, knowing you won't be with me." Quinn stated._

"_Look, you're going to get on that train and go to New Haven and you're going to become a star without me. That's how much I love you!"_

"_I can't believe this is h-happening right now." Quinn tearfully replied._

"_This is so hard for me to have to do this Quinn, because I love you so much. You're going to be wonderful Quinn and I can't wait for you to eventually, hopefully come to New York, where I will have made something of myself to be able to be everything you deserve." Rachel said, boring nothing but love and truth in Quinn's green eyes._

"_We're just gonna sit and let go. We have to, for the sake of our future, we have to just let go and let fate do it's thing and if the universe decides that will be together, if it's in New York or on the other side of the world, then we'll be together, okay? Can you do that for me? Can you let go for our future?" Rachel asked._

"_I l-love you, so much." The blonde said, leaning in to kiss Rachel one last time._

"_And I will always love you." Rachel replied, meeting Quinn's kiss halfway._

_Rachel got out and grabbed Quinn's case from the trunk then proceeded to open her door, closing it behind her after Quinn stepped out. She took Quinn's hand, leading her to the platform where every one was waiting to bid her farewell to New Haven. They both approached the platform as Rachel took Quinn's case and put it on the train and let her hug everyone goodbye. Rachel handed Quinn her ticket and pulled her gently by the chin to look at her._

"_You're going to be so wonderful. I love you, Quinn." _

"_I love you." Quinn tearfully replied, not caring that all of their friends were watching their moment._

_Rachel pulled Quinn in for a kiss full of love and promises for their future, which Quinn reciprocated just as passionately, and let her step onto the train, letting their hands break away at the last second. Quinn found a seat right where everyone was watching her from the platform. She felt the train begin to move and Rachel walked along with it, starting to run as it sped up and dropped off when she couldn't keep up with it. Quinn watched Rachel collapse on the pavement, breaking down, just like she did._

* * *

Quinn wiped away the rest of her tears from that memory.

"You think that was easy, like I enjoyed doing that to you, to us? I cried myself to sleep for weeks when I got to New York because all I could think about was you and what I did to you. I made the biggest mistake of my life, letting you go that day. For some stupid reason, you must be blinder than I think you are, Quinn." Rachel shouted, tears cascading down her face.

"Me? Blind? Why does the oh-so-great Rachel Berry think that I'm blind?" Quinn sarcasticly threw back towards the brunette.

"Because you cannot even see how much you still exist within me, Quinn." Rachel shyly replied, stepping out of the water, walking closer to the ex-cheerleader.

"What do you mean Rachel? I am supposed to see big, flashing neon signs around you saying 'Property of Quinn,' or something? Because, quite frankly, after what you did to us, that ship sailed years ago." The blonde spat out, air-quoting part of what she said.

Walking closer to the blonde, Rachel knew that it was time to show Quinn what she did for her two years ago. Finding Quinn's green eyes, she locked onto them, finally stopping in front of the blonde. Rachel grabbed her hand and placed it on her left hip, running her thumb over Quinn's Q.

"What are you do– oh." Quinn stopped, cut of by what Rachel was running her thumb over.

"I know it's no neon sign, but its close enough. I still do, and will always, belong to you, Quinn." Rachel said quietly, still holding her hand over Quinn's on her hip.

"When did you get it?" the blonde quietly asked.

"Two years ago. The night following my second performance of _Spring Awakening._ Even though you weren't there, I still wanted you with me for every performance after that"

Quinn removed her hand and clutched on the towel, suddenly feeling very exposed. She dropped the towel from her left side; still keeping herself covered and lifted her arm up for Rachel to see. Rachel bent down, finding and reading the words she wrote for Quinn many years ago.

_I'll keep a place in my heart – you'll see it shining through,  
__So please, find a way to my heart and I will follow you.  
__Now, I know you haven't made your mind up yet, but I will never do you wrong,  
__Because I knew, from the moment we met, no doubt in my mind, we belong._

Rachel ran her hands down the script that was inked into Quinn's soft skin. As she read each word, tears flowed freely from her. Every word was like a beacon of hope after being apart for seven years, it felt like reading this, was coming home for Rachel.

"I can't believe you got that." Rachel said, with her hand still on Quinn, looking up at the blonde as she traced idle patterns over the ink.

"You told me specifically to read the letter the day I graduated from Yale and even though it took me a lot of will power not to open it before, I held out until that day I had my degree in my hands. It was like you predicted the future when you gave it to me the day we graduated from high school. I was trying to get over you Rach -" the blonde cut off.

"Quinn…" the brunette trailed off, before Quinn cut back in again.

"Just hear me out Rachel." She cut in, with Rachel nodding her understanding.

"I couldn't get over you no matter how many people I slept with or attempts it took to have something remotely close to a relationship with another person and before reading that, I thought I was getting over you. Over us and how great we were together. I was in love with how carefree we were back then, but now, after seeing that passage every day on me, I am very much in love with you for who you are and the faith you have had in the both of us."

"I gave up on us being together. How can you still love me for that?" Rachel inquired.

"Reading that letter, I know you never really did and since when do you give up on that fairytale ending? Who are you and what have you done with Rachel Berry?" Quinn teased, chuckling lightly.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Quinn." Rachel replied, removing her hand from the blonde and standing back up.

"You know, I was there for that opening night." Quinn stated, finding Rachel's chocolate orbs on her.

"You were? Why didn't you come find me after?"

"I wanted to Rachel, more than you could ever know, but I couldn't. It was your night and seeing you get that standing ovation after all these years, I have never been so proud in my life."

"So you were the one who sent me a dozen Stargazer lilies to my dressing room before the show that night?"

"It was. Please forgive me for not leaving you a card. I wanted nothing more than to leave even just my number, because even if I left that, then you knew they would've been from me and after all this time, I knew I couldn't just show up and assume that you'd still have any kind of feelings for me, let alone love me."

"So I'm assuming all the other bouquets of lilies I got every week after that were from you also?"

"Yes, they were. I sent them in the hopes that I'd be able to work up the courage to leave a card each time, but I never did. Regardless of what has happened between us, I'll still send them every time." Quinn replied, looking at Rachel with nothing but love.

Rachel stepped closer to Quinn, closing what space was left between them. Quinn placed her hand on Rachel's cheek, wiping away the tears there with the pad of her thumb. The blonde continued her ministrations on the diva's cheek as Rachel leant into the touch, relishing the contact she's missed after all this time, wondering why she let Quinn go in the first place.

Quinn felt the brunette lean into her touch and felt her heart skip a beat from the gentle and content smile that crept upon Rachel's face as she ran her thumb along the brunette's supple bottom lip. Quinn tilting Rachel's head up towards her own and met Rachel's eye. All the blonde saw was love as she leant in and gently kissed the brunette. Rachel pulled away, seeing nothing but pure love swirling in Quinn's green orbs.

"Oh Quinn…" Rachel breathed out, before Quinn's lips met hers again.

Exploring each other's lips like it was their first kiss all over again, they both became familiar to the territory quickly. Rachel snaked her arms up around Quinn's neck, pulling their bodies closer together, relishing in the contact. Quinn darted her tongue out, rolling a languid stroke across Rachel's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Rachel gave it and their tongues became lost in each other, falling easily into step to perform to dance they so often performed together.

Quinn pulled away, breathless from what she felt all over again for Rachel.

"Rachel. Is this what we want?" she asked the brunette.

"I cannot speak for the both of us, but I can speak for myself. I love you. I've never stopped loving you. I am and will always belong to you. You're the keeper of the key to my heart and I want you to remain the keeper of it forever. I'm too in love with you to ever let you go again."

"Oh Rach." She smiled, feeling how wonderful the nickname felt rolling off her tongue.

Placing another kiss to her swollen lips, Rachel let go of Quinn to pick up her things off the beach and walked back to the love of her life.

"Let's get out of here." She smiled up at Quinn, pulling her in for another kiss before leading her up the beach towards her place.


	7. Making Up For Lost Time

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

Quinn led Rachel back to her things, she couldn't help but feel blissfully happy, wondering how her life had gone from lonely to perfect in the space of forty five minutes. Of course she knew what was coming; they were going to spend the next few days making up for seven years worth of lost time and deciding how their future should lay out.

"My place is closer." Quinn said, pointing a little way up the beach.

Nodding in compliance, Rachel snaked her hand around Quinn's waist, pulling herself into the blonde's side as Quinn walked them back to her place. Rachel nuzzled herself into the taller girl's side, smirking at how perfectly she still fit into Quinn's nook.

The two girls finally made their way back up the beach to Quinn's villa. Stopping the blonde shortly before the decking to her bedroom, Rachel turned around, coming to a standstill in Quinn's personal space, meeting soft green eyes full of love.

"Quinn, I just want you to know that even though it's been seven years since we've last seen each other, I just wanted to tell you that I never stopped loving you and that I will always remain yours forever, and every day in between. Faithfully."

"Rachel, if I still loved you, then I knew you wouldn't have stopped loving me. I could never stop loving you and although I said that you didn't, I said it out of spite only to alleviate some of the pain that I've felt from losing you and not having you in my life for so long."

"You never lost me. I only wanted to make something of myself; someone who you could be proud of. I needed to be someone that could be everything that you deserve."

"I was always proud of you and I still am. You have made a huge star out of yourself on Broadway, which was always what you dreamt of and I knew you would always get it and succeed immensely. You never had to make yourself into something for me because I knew you would always be everything I ever wanted."

"Oh, Quinn. Why did I ever think that and let you go? I honestly do not know how I've survived the last seven years without being by your side."

"That there is a question I've been trying to answer ever since I heard your name being shouted to me at the airport last week." Quinn stated, pulling Rachel in closer.

"I am so in love with you, Quinn. You're all I need. It's like your love's a drug and I can't get enough. I'm never letting you go again."

With that, Rachel pulled Quinn down by the back of her neck for a searing kiss. A kiss laced with passion and want. Lips moulded together, becoming more familiar with each other. Hands gently explored each other, as curves and valleys became committed to memory. Just feeling each other in that kiss was all they wanted in that moment.

Quinn broke away from Rachel, breathlessly rooted to the spot as she found the brunette's swirling dark chocolate orbs fixated upon her. She saw love and lust and a slew of other things that she knew were only ever reserved for her as she brought her hand to Rachel's and led her inside her bedroom.

Discarding her things on the floor near the love seat, Quinn turned back to the petite brunette. Wrapping her hands around the towel that Rachel had removed during their sensual kiss earlier, she leant in and kissed the diva again as she threw the towel somewhere in the direction of the love seat.

Quinn led Rachel backwards over to the bed, kissing her passionately as she felt Rachel coming to an abrupt halt at the edge of the bed. Wrapping her hands around the brunette, Quinn motioned for her to lie back on the bed, supporting the diva's featherweight as she lay back onto the soft sheets.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." Quinn smiled at the brunette, placing a chaste, but longing kiss upon Rachel's swollen lips.

Quinn jumped up off the bed and darted out of the room, running to the stovetop to grab a lighter. She found her satchel on the counter and picked it up, taking both items back to the bedroom where she found Rachel comfortably basking in the sliver of moonlight that sliced its way through the shadows of the night and into the bedroom. Quinn sighed in complete contentment and awe at the sight of all of Rachel's impeccable beauty.

"You're so beautiful, Rach. I love you so much." She said, bending over the petite girl's form to place a loving kiss on her lips.

Rachel watched Quinn walk around the room lighting every candle in sight. After the last one flickered to life, she saw her stride gracefully over to her satchel at the foot of the bed and rummage around in it for something. Saw watched the blonde pull a book out from between the folds of tan canvas and then dispose of the bag on the floor, before climbing onto the bed and lay along her.

"What's with the book Quinn?" she inquired.

Answering her with meeting the brunette's longing gaze, Quinn kept herself locked to Rachel's features, watching her eyes coast down her form to her hands as she pulled the gardenia out from between the perfume-stained pages. Quinn closed the book and absentmindedly tossed it to the floor, noticing a single wet sheen course its way down Rachel's candle-lit cheeks.

"I know what you did for me with my corsage at junior prom – Finn told me by accident," she began, bringing the flower up between hers and Rachel's views of each other. "I had to keep it because after all these years, you still just… love me… and I love you so much more for that. So, with the love I know you placed behind the thought into this gesture; I want to repay the favour and show my love to you with this same flower." Quinn said softly, as she reached up to Rachel's face, running the pad of her thumb over the glistening tear tracks.

Quinn removed the ribbon off the gardenia, placing it delicately on the nightstand and turned her attention back to Rachel's stunning bikini-clad form in front of her.

Dipping her lips to connect to Rachel's, the blonde placed a gentle, love-filled kiss as she ran the head of the flower up the brunette's toned abdomen, to rest in the valley between her supple breasts. Quinn reached around the back of Rachel's neck. Pulling the strings of the bikini apart and slipped a hand under her back, unhitching the clasp, removing the offending garment and tossed it idly to the floor.

Picking up the flower again, she kept placing butterfly kisses along Rachel's jaw line and collarbone, eliciting a soft, sensual moan from between the brunette's lips, as she gently coasted the gardenia down the diva's stomach, letting it come to rest at the waistline of the brunette's bikini bottoms. Quinn let go of Rachel and the flower, getting off the bed and shrugging her own underwear down her tanned legs, kicking them off to the side and climbed back onto the bed, watching Rachel devour her naked form.

Reaching her hand around to Rachel's hip, Quinn undid the bikini strings there and let them fall apart with ease as she lightly danced her fingertips across the brunette's wet sex, making her way to the two strings standing in the way of Rachel's beauty being made completely naked. Quinn's fingers delicately slid down Rachel's inner thigh, dancing dangerously close to the brunette's dripping arousal and under her cheeks, pulling the white material out from underneath her, running her index finger back up Rachel's slick folds as she did, with the brunette hissing as Quinn brushed over her throbbing clit. She tossed the garment to the floor to meet its counterpart as she watched the brunette's chest begin to slowly rise and fall quicker, admiring all of her love's eloquent beauty.

"You're so beautiful, Rach." She whispered, bringing her still-wet finger up to her mouth, licking and sucking off Rachel's arousal from her finger and brought her lips to meet the brunette's, with Rachel moaning at the bittersweet taste of herself on Quinn's lips.

Moving her kisses back down to Rachel's pulse point, Quinn gently nibbled and sucked, letting her tongue makes its own love to the brunette's skin, feeling her tense up as she leant her weight on to her side, propping herself up and grabbed the flower with her free hand. Moving the flower back up towards Rachel's breasts, Quinn coasted up a supple breast and circled the pink nipple with the flower, finding Rachel's free nipple and taking it in her mouth, letting her tongue run languid circles around the pink nub. Quinn circled the flower over Rachel's breasts, dipping in valleys and over rolling mounds of soft flesh as she felt the brunette shudder and release a sensual moan into the warm air, causing the blonde to moan at the seductive sound, feeling Rachel's back arch at the vibrations that flowed off Quinn's tongue to her nipple.

Kissing her way back up to Rachel's lips, she let the flower follow her trail of kisses and come to rest beneath the brunette's opposite ear to where Quinn was letting her tongue stroke and teased the soft, sensitive skin there. Feeling the brunette turn her head towards the gardenia to alleviate some of the tickling sensation that ran down her spine, Quinn saw this as an opportunity to run her tongue from Rachel's marked pulse point back up to her earlobe, leaving goose bumps up Rachel's neck in her tongue's wake as she took Rachel's lobe in her ear and pulled on it, sucking and nipping at the sensitive skin.

Quinn kissed underneath the shuddering brunette's earlobe, nibbling and licking, teasing and tasting the skin there as she began trailing the gardenia from beneath Rachel's other ear, down her neck and between the valley of her heaving breasts, letting the delicate piece of flora rest there as she peppered the flower's trail with kisses, occasionally nibbling and sucking the salty skin pink. Managing to kiss her way to Rachel's breasts, she inhaled the gardenia's sweet perfume and then began to lazily, but delicately trail it down the writhing brunette's abdomen, leaving two or three petals in her wake as she zigzagged the flower down Rachel's abs to her hip bone.

Kissing her way down the gardenia's path, dipping her tongue in and circling the brunette's belly button, the blonde lightly blew the loose petals over Rachel's quivering abs, hearing the brunette moan and arch her back at the sensation. Quinn lightly ran the flower from one hip to the other, guiding the flora over her lower abdomen, skirting just above Rachel's wet sex as she moaned illicitly at the touch.

"Mmm-oh my G-od, Qu-inn, mmm!" Rachel moaned and exclaimed, as the blonde kissed and tongued at her sensitive hip.

Quinn kissed her way back up to Rachel's breast and gently sucked at the erect nipple there, pulling it between her teeth and rolling her tongue over it as she used her foot to spread Rachel's feet apart. Understanding what the blonde was trying to do, Rachel willingly spread her legs apart for Quinn, putting her glistening slick sex on complete display.

Quinn ran the gardenia down Rachel's core, causing more sensual groans of dubious pleasure to erupt from the brunette's writhing body. She continued tracing the flower up and down Rachel's slick folds, kissing her way back down to Rachel's wet heat. Lifting her lips off Rachel's body, she took the head of the gardenia in her hands and ripped off some of the flora's white petals, sprinkling them lightly over Rachel's body, sticking to lightly-sweating skin as each petal came to rest on the brunette's body. Quinn smiled in sensual delight as she watched Rachel's hips buck and her back arch up at the sensations each feather-light piece of flora caused when they landed on the brunette's tingling skin.

"F-fu-uck! Qu-inn!" Rachel breathlessly moaned, as the blonde lightly blew some of the petals over her body.

The brunette clutched at the sheets, fisting them and turning her knuckles white as Quinn ran what was left of the head of the flower back up her slit, adding more pressure as she found Rachel's throbbing clit. Lightly blowing petals out of her path, Quinn continued her ministrations on the brunette's wet sex as she kissed and tongued her way back up Rachel's salty abdomen, briefly stopping at her pert nipples before continuing up her collarbone and neck, coming to a stop at Rachel's sensitive lobe, licking at the outer shell of her ear.

"Come for me, Rach." Quinn deliciously breathed into the writing brunette's ear.

"W-what are you… d-doing… ohh fuck… t-to me, Quiiiiinn?!" she breathlessly moaned out.

"Beginning to make up for seven years of lost time," she whispered back, trailing her tongue back to Rachel's pulse point and sucking on it.

"Oh m-my…God! Q-quinn! I-I'm… c-coming!" Rachel screamed, as she felt the pressure build up on her clit and catapult her over the edge, feeling that explosive white heat course through her shuddering body.

"I love you." Quinn whispered in Rachel's ear as she dropped the flower and pressed her thumb into the brunette's aching clit, sending her hips flying into her hand.

Rachel's hips thrust and bucked as Quinn continued her ministrations on the writhing brunette's aching clit, guiding her through every second of her powerful orgasm, as the blonde felt hers beginning to catch up to her. Feeling Rachel's hips beginning to slow down, Quinn wasted no time and thrust two fingers deep into the brunette's dripping wet heat. Thrusting her fingers in and out of the tight channel, she rolled over and straddled Rachel's bucking leg, coating the diva's thigh in her own arousal as she rode the brunette harder and harder, pushing her hip into the back of her hand as she built up her speed.

Feeling herself beginning to tighten deep inside her core, Quinn kept up her pace, matching her speed with Rachel's hips as they found their rhythm, hips fluidly dancing faster and faster together, going through the steps only they knew as Rachel pulled Quinn down in for a searing kiss and pulled away, letting her eyes roll into the back of her head as she felt Quinn press on that tight bundle of nerves deep inside her core.

"Oh f-fuuuuck, Rach!" Quinn screamed, as gave one last, large thrust of her hips and hand and sent them both tumbling over the proverbial cliff, feeling the white heat flow like electricity through her willing body.

"QUINN!" Rachel screamed, feeling Quinn press deep inside her, tumbling over the cliff with her, riding out her orgasm on the blonde's giving hand.

As screams and cries of pleasurable ecstasy began to dissipate from the warm, tangy air, Quinn slowed her ministrations down as they rode out the last of their euphoric orgasms together, collapsing in a heaving heap upon Rachel's sated, limp body.

Their bodies remained glued together for several moments, just feeling each other, basking in the after glow of their passionate sex. Enjoying her contentment and realising she was still inside the brunette and feeling the brunette's walls clench around her fingers as she did, Quinn slowly pulled her two fingers out of Rachel's tight, dripping wet channel and brought them to her swollen lips, lapping and sucking every last drop of Rachel's arousal off of her fingers. Licking her lips at the unique taste, she shift her head and brought her lips to Rachel's, with the brunette moaning lazily at the taste of what was left of herself on Quinn's tongue.

"That was… there's no words to describe that, except for I love you." Rachel breathed out as she wrapped her arms around Quinn, pulling her body closer to her own, creating as much skin-to-skin contact as she could between the two of them.

"I love you too, Rach. Always have." Quinn contentedly replied, as she slipped her hands between the brunette's sweaty back and sticky sheets, resting her head in the valley between her breasts.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question, Quinn?" Rachel asked after a few moments of blissful silence.

"Anything, babe." The blonde happily sighed out in return.

"I don't mean to be a pain, but I have to ask; what is going to happen to us now?" Rachel inquired, trying to gauge a reaction on Quinn's face.

"The way I see it, we've got one of two choices," Quinn began, lifting her head from Rachel's chest, finding the brunette's gaze and smiling contently at her.

"One, we can put a label on it now and stress out about what everybody is going to think back home and ruin the next four or so weeks, or…" she paused, teasing Rachel playfully. "two, we just enjoy what time we have left here together and laugh and live and make passionate love to each other for the next four-ish weeks and just be us, worrying about everyone else when we come to it." she replied, smiling and placing a longing kiss on Rachel's lips.

"Hmm… out of those, I'd definitely… have to… pick making sweet… passionate love… to the love… of… my life… for the next… four weeks." Rachel replied, interrupting every few words with a kiss to Quinn's lips.

"That's exactly what I thought you'd say." Quinn happily replied, returning Rachel's kisses with a prolonged one of her own.

"Glad we could… agree, baby." Rachel said, being cut off midway by the blonde's wanton lips.

Both girls laid there, kissing and just feeling for a few more moments before succumbing to their exhausted bodies' requests for rest, dreaming of things like rings and baby names before waking and spending the next four weeks making passionate love, only stopping to shower (and even make love in the shower), eating and sleeping to fuel their fires that still burnt fiercely for each other.

* * *

**A/N: Apologies for not updating this chapter sooner - K x**


	8. Stolen Sheets And Teenage Dreams

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

Quinn's tired green eyes fluttered awake. The blonde stretched out her exhausted limbs, feeling nothing or _no-one_, in the bed beside her. She shot up, swinging her head side to side around her bedroom, looking for some form of Rachel in the expanse of the bedroom. Falling back in a huff, the breeze she created ruffled a note to her right on the nightstand…

_Baby,_

_As you have probably noticed, I'm not beside you whilst reading this, but its okay – don't panic. I just had to run some errands. I've taken the liberty of having our laundry and dry cleaning done, so there's no need to worry about that either. I've booked a hotel for a night in Rome before we fly back home and by now, I've probably come back from the markets with breakfast in tow._

_So, would you do me the honour and join for me breakfast beautiful?_

_I love you,_

_R x_

Quinn sighed in contentment after finishing the note, wondering how her life had been so perfect for the last three and a half weeks. As she rolled over and swung herself up out of bed, she grabbed a loose top sheet and wrapped it around her body and padded her way out into the kitchen, where she came across another note in Rachel's familiar script…

_God, you look so beautiful! Breakfast is outside on the deck._

_R x_

Leaving the second note in her wake on the marble island bench, Quinn clutched at the sheet wrapped around her body and made her way towards the back deck, finding Rachel there with fresh fruits, coffee, juice and croissants.

"Good morning baby," Rachel chirped, taking in the blonde's simplistic, yet eloquent beauty. "You look gorgeous." She continued, standing up to meet the blonde with a gentle kiss good morning.

"Good morning to you too babe. What's with all this?" Quinn inquired, gesturing a hand to the table filled with their breakfast, after returning Rachel's kiss.

"Nothing's up with it really. I just wanted to do something nice for you, seeing as you've been doing nothing but treat me like royalty for the last few weeks. I just wanted to return some of the favour." She smiled shyly, tucking a strand of the blonde's locks behind her ear.

"Just being with me over the last few weeks has been more than enough of you 'returning the favour'." Quinn air-quoted, taking in Rachel's impeccable beauty in the morning light.

"Well, I suppose after you mentioning the last few weeks of bliss we've had, that was what I wanted to talk to you about…" Rachel trailed off, gesturing for the blonde to take a seat.

"I was wondering when we going to bring that up. I just didn't want to ruin the time we've had so far with talking about what it's going to be like between us when we get back home." Quinn sighed.

"I know you didn't and I'm glad I didn't ask you about it either, because of the same reasons too, but I just feel that we really should talk about it while there's no-one else around and voicing their opinions about any aspect of us wanting to be together, that is, if you want to be with me when we get back to New York of course."

"Rachel, these last almost-four weeks have been nothing short of heaven here with you and I know that as much as we want to be together, we still have a lot of stuff we need to work on together and individually."

"I know we do, but I just wanted to hear what you thought about there being an 'us' and if we should get back together." Rachel returned, her gaze dropping shyly down to the coffee mug she was twisting on its spot on the table.

"Rach, will you look at me?" Quinn asked, coaxing the brunette's gaze back up to her own. "I love you and I know we both have a lot to do together and individually before we decide what's going to be best for us. We have both changed since high school and as much as I don't want to say this, I honestly think that it'll be better if we can get back to New York and start us fresh. Clean slates. Working on us forming a relationship slowly, doing the whole 'no-sex-until-it-feels-right' thing, getting to know us in our comfort zones again." She finished, smiling at the diva, who still held her gaze.

"I think that sounds wonderful, Quinn. I mean, after all the pain we've suffered, slow and steady may just be the way to go to getting to know each other again and working out whether we want to be with each other." Rachel replied, swiping away at a tear that threatened to fall.

"The reason why I said that is because I know I want nothing more than to be with you and only you for the rest of forever and every day in between. I just know that within myself, I'm going to get too eager and all kinds of paranoid and insecure because of what perspired between us last time and I don't think I could handle losing you again. I just need to make sure that I know that I'm not going to screw this up, because I know you're it for me." Quinn stated, reaching for Rachel's hand and bringing it to her lips, placing a chaste kiss on the warm, tan skin.

"I love you, so much Quinn. I really want to make our relationship work and if that means doing things slowly and making sure that we're sure with ourselves, then that's what I'll do. I can't imagine my life without you in and I never really could. I just know that I've made something of myself and I know that I feel like I can be someone and everything you deserve now." She sighed, relishing in the contact her skin had with the blonde's.

"You were always good enough for me Rach. For someone so sure of themselves in high school, I was really surprised that you doubted yourself so much, even for me."

"I just want you have everything you could ever want and I want to be able to provide those things to you because you deserve it."

"I knew you already would though. Even in high school when you were making your Broadway dream happen, you still knew you were going to get everything you wanted through your own perseverance and strength in chasing your dreams. It's because of that, that I knew you would be everything I could ever want. So, please, for me, do not doubt who you are for me again because I know you're everything I want."

"I love you, Quinn." Rachel breathed out, standing up and walking around the table, closing the short distance between their bodies and sitting down on her lap.

Quinn wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist, holding her featherweight firmly, but delicately to her body, relishing in the warmth and comfort that Rachel brought upon her whenever they touched.

"When we get back to New York, I want to take you out on a date. Not just a run-of-the-mill dinner and a movie, a proper date. I want it to be special, be everything that a perfect first date should be because you deserve it."

"Is that right?" Quinn replied, nuzzling herself into the brunette's neck.

"It sure is baby. Because it's our second first date, I'm calling it First Date 2.0." she cheerfully sung out.

"It sounds perfect Rach." Finishing off her reply with a kiss to Rachel shoulder.

"It's only two days before we go back, so I want to make the most of our last full day here before we have to drive back up to Rome tomorrow morning because I know it'll take us more than the two hours necessary to drive up there. So, on that note, let's finish breakfast and get stuck into all the things that I have planned for you today."

"What might those be babe?" Quinn breathed, seductively biting the tip off a luscious strawberry, before bringing her lips up to Rachel's mouth.

"If I tell you, it won't be as enjoyable as I want it to be for you." She husked out, taking the strawberry from Quinn's lips, making sure to lap up the droplet of sweet juice that remained on the blonde's bottom lip. "But I will tell you this, it does involve some of this delicious fruit…" she trailed off, getting up from Quinn's lap, pulling the blonde's sheet with her and taking the platter of fruits with her.

Quinn watched the brunette saunter off, dragging her sheet with her. She finished up her juice and followed her inside, thanking God for the privacy of this villa. They ate and teased each other, making love for the rest of the day and into the warm night.

* * *

Rachel shot up; waking up the sound Don't Rain on My Parade blearing as the alarm she set on her iPhone and reached over to turn her 6:30am alarm off.

"Babe, why did you set your alarm so early?" Quinn mumbled, slinging her arm back over Rachel's waist to pull her closer.

"I set it so I could get in one more jog along the beach before we begin our journey home. It's so beautiful out here and I just wanted to savour it." She whispered, kissing the back of Quinn's hand that had wrapped itself around her.

"Ok babe…" the blonde trailed off, lightly snoring back into her pillow.

Rachel gently extricated herself from her sleeping lover's arms and slipped into a bikini, throwing a pair of plain sleep shorts and a singlet over the top and grabbed a towel. She took one last look at Quinn, walking back around to her phone to snap a picture of her sleeping beauty, placed back where it was before and made her way out the door down to the beach to lap up the serenity before they were due to take off to Rome later that morning.

* * *

"That's everything babe!" Quinn shouted from the car as she slammed the trunk shut.

"Ok then. Just let me do one more walk-around the villa and I'll be right out."

"Sounds good, _bella_." Quinn replied sultrily, walking up to Rachel who was still standing in the doorway to the villa.

"Ooh, Quinn!" Rachel shivered. "Don't be speaking Italian to me and looking at me like that. You know I can't resist a sexy accent and a foreign language. Wasn't torturing me in high school with Spanish enough?" she asked, wrapping her arms around the blonde who was now standing in front of her.

"¿Qué vas a hacer al respecto, pues?" Quinn smirked; mentally patting herself on the back for remembering the Spanish she was taught and thanking some higher power that she could still understand Santana when she went on one of her Spanish rambles.

"So… sexy… but we have… to get… going." Rachel breathed in between the kisses she was being showered with from her lover.

Rachel pulled away from Quinn, removing her hands from around her neck and pulled her inside by the hand, leading her all around the villa to make sure they could both spot anything that they may have left behind.

"I think that's it baby." Rachel sang, pulling Quinn outside towards the car and shutting the door after them.

They both got in the car, and drove around to the main building to check out. Leaving a generous tip for their troubles of shifting their rooms around, they walked out of reception, hand in hand, back to the car. Quinn got in and started it up, silently thanking Rachel's brilliant idea of dropping her car off at her hire car's depot three weeks ago when she moved her things into Quinn's villa the day beforehand. Rachel jumped back in and secured her seatbelt, plugging her iPhone into the auxiliary input and put her go-to driving play list on. Starting the car up, the blonde shifted it into drive and took off down the drive and out on to the road, reaching over for Rachel's hand and resting them in Rachel's lap. Sighing in contentment, Quinn looking over at Rachel, who was happily singing along to Katy Perry's Teenage Dream as they rolled through hills and valleys of vineyard after vineyard in the Italian sun.

* * *

After dropping off the car at the depot, the girls finally made their way to their hotel. Paying the driver and leaving him with a generous tip for his troubles, they made their way inside, heading over to check into their suite for the night. With their luggage in tow, Quinn and Rachel made their way up to their room, falling in a heap on the bed after exploring their suite and unceremoniously dumping their luggage at the foot of the bed.

Waking up a few hours later, Quinn's stomach growled at her; realising she hadn't eaten since their breakfast down in Naples. Spotting the time, _6:12pm_, she reached over to the room service menu. Finding nothing that really appealed to her, she gently woke Rachel, placing a kiss to the brunette's bare shoulder when she rolled over.

"Rach, honey, wake up. I want to take you out for dinner to that restaurant you spotted when we checked in this morning."

"Okay baby. Just give me a few minutes to get up and get changed and we'll head out."

"Sounds good. Anything you need." Quinn smiled, watching Rachel get up and move over to her suitcases, stripping her clothes as she went.

Quinn felt herself starting to pool as her breathing became more constrict, trying to take more air in at the sight of Rachel's beauty glistening in the last of the afternoon sunset.

"You know, it'd be more productive for us to shower together babe and with that kiss you laid on me this morning, you got me all kinds of riled up." Quinn motioned, hopping up and beginning to remove her own clothes.

"Why do you think I started taking my clothes off in front you baby? You got me all kinds of wound up when you started speaking deliciously in Spanish and Italian this morning, as if I'd let you not join me to shower." Rachel smirked, walking up to Quinn and placing her hands to cup her toned cheeks.

Quinn lifted her up, making sure Rachel had her legs wrapped securely around her waist before kissing her passionately and walking towards the en suite, stepping into the shower and proceeded to have her way with Rachel twice before stepping out of the shower forty five minutes later, getting dressed and making their way downstairs and out into the warm Italian night. The two couldn't keep anything but their eyes off the other all night and being that they discussed taking their time to sleep with each other after properly dating for a while in New York, they spent the rest of their night, which trickled into the early hours of the morning, making nothing but passionate love after spending an evening revelling in the others company over dinner and a glass of wine.

* * *

"Shit! Quinn! We have to go! Get up!" Rachel practically screamed as she turned her in-case-of-sleeping-late-after-too-much-amazing-sex alarm off and threw the sheets off their naked bodies.

"Okay, okay! No need to make me deaf in one ear Rach. I'm up" Quinn huffed, not enjoying being woken up by Rachel's screaming at the time.

The girls got up, with Rachel claiming the shower first, Quinn padded into the kitchen and put some coffee on. She loved Italy's need to have an espresso machine in each of their rooms in their hotels. Taking in the intoxicating scent of her double shot espresso, she made Rachel's double shot soy latte and took both their coffees into the bedroom where Rachel was rummaging through her cases for something to slip over her matching black lace Victoria's Secret lingerie she'd already dressed herself in.

"If I had it my way, I wouldn't be dressing you in anything but that for the plane." Quinn breathed into Rachel's ear as she came up behind the singer and handed the brunette her coffee.

"That kind of talk is what made us late babe, not that I didn't enjoy it of course." She said, taking a swig of her coffee. "Mmm, that's good." She added, smiling at Quinn as she watched the blonde put down her coffee cup and walk over to the bathroom and continued her mission to find something to wear.

* * *

After dressing and packing their things away, Rachel and Quinn packed the last of their things up, making sure they left nothing behind, and made their way out of the suite, with case in tow and the soft thud of the door following after them.

Quinn and Rachel checked out, being sure to leave a generous tip for the hotel's welcoming hospitality and made their way outside, where Rachel had a black town car waiting for them. The valet thanked Quinn for the tip after closing the trunk with their cases in it and stepped inside the car, where Rachel was already waiting and buckled in.

"I can't wait to get back to New York and begin the start of our lives together." She chirped happily, taking Quinn's hand in hers and placing a kiss to the back of it.

"Neither can I babe." Quinn smiled in return as the driver took off, heading towards the airport.

Both girls arrived at the airport, stepping onto the plane after checking their luggage in and going through customs. They took their seats in first class, fastening their belts and patiently waiting for the plane to level out after taking off. The girls removed their belts and folded the armrest up, enjoying their complementary glass of champagne and tucked into each other, Rachel resting her head on Quinn's shoulder, with the blonde reaching an arm around, fastening her hands to Rachel's shoulder, both drifting peacefully off to sleep with nothing but dreams of each other playing through their minds as they happily slept through their flight together.

* * *

**A/N: Apologies for not getting this chapter up sooner. A little bought of writer's block didn't exactly help. K x**


	9. Dreams That Can Scream Reality

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Glee and everything related to it. Just borrowing Quinn and Rachel for a bit.**

**Spoilers: Flashback scenes from '2.04 - Duets' forward.**

* * *

"_NO! QUINN!" Rachel screamed out into the crisp New York air as heavy sobs encapsulated her._

_The petite brunette raced across to the other side of the road, rain pouring and soaking the diva in its dreadful misery as she moved her body gracefully throughout the waves of oncoming traffic. She dodged cars as they came to a screaming halt in front of the sight before them; Quinn's motionless body lying splayed out on the wet, black asphalt, with a watery, red trickle beginning to inch it's way down the street towards the nearest drain._

_Rachel bent down over her lover, scooping her pale, unbroken hand up into her own. Chocolate eyes searched through the sleet for hazel, finding them wide open as Quinn remained still with each passing second._

"_Quinn! Please don't close your eyes. Fo-c-cus on me, focus on my voice and we'll get you t-to a hospital as soon as we can. I love you. Just d-don't close your eyes." Rachel sobbed, watching Quinn's eyes find her own._

"_That's my girl. Just keep looking at me, ok?!" Rachel reassured her._

"_I l-love you, Rach." Quinn breathed out, gripping onto Rachel's hands around her own._

_Rachel bent over Quinn's still body, placing a chaste kiss to her reddened lips. Spitting the taste of blood out of her mouth, Rachel held onto Quinn's hand as the paramedics loaded her onto the gurney and wheeled her into the ambulance, letting go only when she rolled through the doors into surgery._

_xQRx_

_Rachel was startled awake with a soft but unfamiliar hand rubbing her shoulder and a kink in her neck from falling asleep in the waiting room. Rubbing her eyes and looking to her left, it was Judy Fabray half-smiling with sadness and pain in her eyes with the surgeon standing over them, his shadow casting a melancholic darkness over their seated bodies. Rachel looked into Judy's eyes, trying to discern what was going on. Glancing between Quinn's mom and the doctor, she began shaking her head, tears filling her chocolate brown orbs._

"_No! N-no!"_

"_Rachel, honey, I am so sorry -" Judy started._

"_NO!" Rachel practically screamed out, tears flowing as she felt two strong and protective arms envelope her tiny frame from her right._

"_Rachel!"_

_Burrowing her head in the shoulder that carried a scent she'd only smelled three times before in her life, she knew it was none other than Santana who had her wrapped up and protected in her arms. Still shaking her head and sobbing violently, she howled in pain into Santana's shoulder, whose own grief broke her steeled mask from the sight of Rachel in so much pain and she broke down too, each girl being someone to lean on and let everything out as the realisation dawned upon them:_

_Quinn died during surgery._

* * *

"Rachel!" Quinn asked, trying to stir the distraught brunette, who was thrashing about in her seat.

"Rach, wake up." She shook again.

"No! Quinn! She can't be dead!" Rachel cried out, tears rolling down her face.

"Rach… Rachel!" Quinn said louder, finally watching the brunette's eyes spring open.

"Oh my God! Quinn!" Rachel said, throwing her arms around the worried blonde.

"Shh. It's okay. I've got you now." Quinn cooed, rubbing soothing circles on the diva's back.

"It was so real." Rachel sobbed into Quinn's shoulder.

"What was baby?"

Y-you. In m-my dream. You were crossing the street in New York a-and it was pouring down rain… and a c-car lost control and hit y-you. You told me you loved me b-before you closed your… eyes and then the paramedics l-loaded you into the ambulance and t-took you to the hospital again and… and then they wheeled y-you into surgery and I f-fell asleep in the waiting room and your mom a-and Santana were there and then the doctor told me y-you had d-died during surgery." Rachel finished, breaking down, convulsing in Quinn's arms as the pain wreaked havoc on her emotions.

"Rachel, I am not going anywhere! Not now, not ever. Okay baby?"

All Quinn felt was a nod in the dip of her collarbone in reply. The blonde wrapped her arms tighter around the diva, pulling her as close as the confined spaces of first class seating would allow them, whispering shushes and cooing "Its okay, I've got you." continuously into her ear until she felt herself slip into slumber with Rachel now peacefully in her arms.

* * *

They made their way out of the terminal after being cleared by customs, suitcases in tow, and were greeted with flashbulb after flashbulb of paparazzi in their faces:

"Rachel Berry!"

"Over here!"

"Who's the mysterious blonde you're with?"

"Miss Berry, look this way!"

In amongst the haste and being hustled around while trying to get their cases to their waiting town car, Rachel sorrowful chocolate orbs found Quinn's eyes, silently pleading for her forgiveness as they stepped around the throngs of camera-happy men and women and made their way to the doors of their waiting car.

Closing doors, Quinn folded her right leg over her left and rested her elbow upon the door handle, watching the people and cameras begin to slowly fade away as Rachel scooted closer, grasping Quinn's right hand, motioning her to turn toward her.

"Quinn, I am so, so sorry for that unfortunate welcome home of cameras and rowdy paparazzi in your face. I had made sure explicitly that no-one except for Kurt and my manager knew when I was, when we were, coming home." Rachel delicately began.

"Rach, it's okay, really. I just didn't think it'd start so soon is all. After the last six weeks, which were nothing short of perfect by the way, I want nothing more than to start the rest of our lives right with the way that we both deserve it. I know you said you broke up with me to make yourself a better person for me, to be the person that I deserve to be with, but what about you? What about the person you deserve to be with? Are you sure that I'm that person?"

"You are Quinn! I had no doubt in my mind that you were going to become something so wonderful and great when I let you go. I wanted you to become everything you are and you wanted to be for you. Not for me. You were already everything I deserved and I just wanted you to have the same in return for how beautiful and absolutely astounding you are not only to me, but to the way everyone else sees you too."

"You know I love you and I've never stopped since the first day I laid eyes on you, but I just need a little time to reassure myself and make sure that this is it for us when we do start our journey together. Are you okay with that?" Quinn gently enquired, rubbing soothing circles on the back of Rachel's hand.

"I completely understand Quinn and given what I did to you seven years ago, it's more than okay." the diva smiled.

"When the car drops me and my things off, just give me a little time to figure out if I am everything you say I am. I want to be the person you see in me and I want to make sure that I'm that person before I call you to ask you out the most romantic second first date you'll ever go on." Quinn grinned, pulling Rachel towards her, encouraging the smaller woman to lean into her.

"Okay Quinn, but just can we just be the way were not even twenty four hours ago in Italy: all loved-up and just being with each other before the reality of now crashes down upon us when I do drop you off?"

"We can do that, baby. I did have a fantastic time though and although I was hesitant at first, I'm so happy you followed me down to Naples. I wouldn't change the last four weeks for the world." Quinn reassured, gently tugging Rachel's chin up and placing a very delicate kiss on the brunette's plump lips.

"I love you, Quinn."

"I love you too, Rach." The blonde replied, hugging Rachel tighter into her body for the rest of the car ride home.

* * *

"Here we are Ms. Fabray." The driver called out as the car came to a stop infront of Quinn's town house.

"Babe, wake up." Quinn mused, gently shaking Rachel awake, who was fast asleep in the blonde's nook.

"Quinn! Why'd you let me sleep? These are the last few moments I got to spend with you before the inevitable and you let me sleep." She trailed off, rubbing her chocolate eyes awake.

"I wanted to let you sleep as there's nothing more beautiful to me than you so peaceful and content when you're happily asleep."

"Well, when you put it that way Fabray, I guess its okay then." The brunette smiled, placing a chaste kiss on Quinn's lips.

Quinn motioned to get out of the car, opening the door and was engulfed with the late New York summer air she'd missed. Rachel followed suit and closed the door behind her, following Quinn around to the trunk of the car where her cases were already waiting on the sidewalk.

"I'm going to miss you so much after the best vacation of my life." Rachel began, her head hanging dejectedly towards the ground, kicking a loose stone on the sidewalk.

"I'm going to miss you too Rach, but I have to do this for me and for us if we want to have any chance at the rest of our lives together."

"I know that, I just wanted to say it anyway." Rachel replied.

"I know you did." Quinn returned, taking a few steps, closing the distance between their bodies.

Quinn placed her hand on Rachel's cheek, with the brunette smiling and leaning into her touch. Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and pulled her down for a searing kiss. Quinn glided her hand down Rachel's chest, gently skimming over her heart and wrapped both her arms around the diva's waist, lifting her up off the ground with lips remaining intact, dancing the steps to the melody for each other they wrote so long ago, with their lips and tongues moving in a kiss that was laced with nothing but promises of the future and the love that burned so fiercely between them.

Quinn gently placed Rachel back on the ground, placing a last kiss on her lips, finding her eyes and reassuring the brunette with the words she couldn't say that everything is going to be okay between them.

"I love you." Rachel said.

"I love you too."

"Be seeing you."

"Be seeing you." The blonde flippantly waved, watching Rachel open the car door not forgetting to adorn the smile that she only ever reserved for Quinn.

The lawyer watched the diva drive off down the road and turn the corner as she grabbed her things off the sidewalk and make her way up to her town house to collapse on her bed and fall asleep, taking in her last few moments with the love of her life before she started putting her plan into action for herself and her future with Rachel.

* * *

A/N: Apologies for taking such a long time to post this. This chapter was a pain in the ass for me and I'm completely happy with it, but after two months, I'm back in the writing game. Happy reading - K x


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